The Board granted an effective date prior to February 26, 2024, for a 70 percent rating for major depressive disorder with anxious distress and denied an initial compensable rating for hypothyroidism. Service connection was also granted for chronic kidney disease as secondary to service-connected hypertension.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's MDD symptoms more closely approximated the criteria for a 50 percent rating until April 26, 2023, and a 70 percent rating from April 27, 2023. The evidence did not support an initial compensable rating for hypothyroidism.
- Claimed conditions
- Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), Hypothyroidism, Major Depressive Disorder with Anxious Distress (MDD)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 3, 2025
- Citation
- A25095261
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 833 · Granted: 33% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation A25095261.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's CKD did not result in a GFR score of 59 mL/min/1.73 m2 or lower for at least three consecutive months during any 12-month period, nor did it require regular routine dialysis or make him eligible for a kidney transplant. Therefore, the claim for an initial compensable rating for CKD is denied.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for high blood pressure, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), aortic valve regurgitation, and hypothyroidism as the evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection due to lack of in-service diagnosis or chronic symptoms.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim of entitlement to an initial compensable disability rating for right shin splints due to inadequate examination and failure to address increased symptomatology during flare-ups. The Veteran's service connection for hypothyroidism was granted in full, leaving only her right shin splint issue on appeal.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Major Depressive Disorder, Hypothyroidism, and Hypertension. The decision is based on direct evidence of these conditions during service.
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