Rheumatoid arthritis decisions — 2021

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including hypertension, lupus, syncope disorder, venous thrombosis, chronic rheumatoid arthritis, and a heart disorder, all of which were deemed not related to the appellant's period of active duty for training (ACDUTRA).

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and a need for further examination. The issues include psychiatric conditions, arthritis, head injury residuals, neck condition, and bone spurs.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis in upper extremities, and osteoarthritis in lower extremities due to the death of the appellant.

The Veteran's lumbar strain, degenerative disc disease with levoscoliosis is rated at 20 percent and denied a higher rating.,Her radiculopathy of the right lower extremity was restored to 60 percent effective September 1, 2016, but her prior ratings are denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, and kidney disability (renal toxicity), finding that there was no evidence of a current disability related to active duty service or exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.,The Board concluded that the preponderance of the evidence did not support a finding that any of these conditions began during service or were otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.

The TDIU claim is being held in abeyance until the claims for psychiatric disability and radiculopathy are finally decided.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for overactive bladder and neurological disorder of the left lower extremity have been granted. The appeal is dismissed as these issues are no longer in dispute.

The Board has ordered a remand due to inadequacies in the rationale provided for the direct service connection etiological opinion and an addendum opinion which considers the relationship between the Veteran's service-connected asthma and her claimed rheumatoid arthritis.

The Board denied service connection for diverticulosis, back condition, neck condition, and endometriosis as the evidence did not support a causal relationship to service.