Citation Nr: 21061265 Decision Date: 10/01/21 Archive Date: 10/01/21 DOCKET NO. 18-16 418 DATE: October 1, 2021 ORDER Entitlement to service connection for chronic kidney disease, secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, on a causation basis, is granted. FINDING OF FACT The Veteran's chronic kidney disease was caused by his service-connected diabetes mellitus. CONCLUSION OF LAW The criteria for service connection for chronic kidney disease, as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, on a causation basis, are met. 38 U.S.C. §§ 1110, 5107; 38 C.F.R. §§ 3.102, 3.310. REASONS AND BASES FOR FINDING AND CONCLUSION The Veteran served on active duty from February 1969 to March 1971 and from November 1990 to April 1991, which includes service in the Republic of Vietnam. His awards include the Combat Infantryman Badge and Bronze Star Medal. The appellant is his surviving spouse. The Veteran died and the appellant was substituted for the Veteran with respect to the issue on appeal in September 2021. This matter comes before the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) from a January 2015 rating decision. The appellant testified before the undersigned Veterans Law Judge (VLJ) at a September 2021 hearing. A transcript of the hearing has not yet been associated with the claims file. However, in light of the fact that the Board is awarding service connection for chronic kidney disease (thus reflecting a full grant of the benefit sought), and the fact that there is no information in the hearing transcript that will affect the decision herein, the transcript is not necessary at this time. Service Connection Service connection will be granted if the evidence demonstrates that current disability resulted from an injury suffered or disease contracted in active military, naval, or air service. 38 U.S.C. § 1110; 38 C.F.R. § 3.303(a). Establishing service connection generally requires competent evidence of three things: (1) current disability; (2) in-service injury or disease; and (3) a relationship between the two. Saunders v. Wilkie, 886 F.3d 1356, 1361 (Fed. Cir. 2018). Consistent with this framework, service connection is warranted for a disease first diagnosed after service when all the evidence, including that pertinent to service, establishes that the disease was incurred in service. 38 C.F.R. § 3.303(d). Service connection is also warranted for disability which is proximately due to or the result of service-connected disease or injury. 38 C.F.R. § 3.310. Entitlement to service connection for chronic kidney disease, secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, on a causation basis The Board finds, for the following reasons, that the Veteran had current chronic kidney disease at the time of his death and that this disability was caused by his service-connected diabetes mellitus. Medical records, including a December 2014 letter from M. Aslam, M.D., indicates that the Veteran was diagnosed as having chronic kidney disease. Therefore, current kidney disability was demonstrated at the time of his death. As for the etiology of the Veteran's chronic kidney disease, a June 2014 examination report from Dr. Aslam includes a diagnosis of "[d]iabetes with renal manifestations . . . ." Also, Dr. Aslam explained in his December 2014 letter that he had been treating the Veteran for his kidney disability since June 2012 and that the Veteran's chronic kidney disease was a result of underlying diabetes and hypertension. Although Dr. Aslam's December 2014 opinion is not accompanied by a detailed rationale, he provided the opinion based upon his treatment of the Veteran and consideration of his reported history. This opinion is therefore entitled to some probative weight. See Monzingo v. Shinseki, 26 Vet. App. 97, 106 (2012) (the fact that the rationale provided by an examiner "did not explicitly lay out the examiner's journey from the facts to a conclusion," did not render the examination inadequate); Acevedo v. Shinseki, 25 Vet. App. 286, 294 (2012) (medical reports must be read as a whole and in the context of the evidence of record). There is no medical opinion that is contrary to a finding that the Veteran's chronic kidney disease was caused by his service-connected diabetes mellitus. In sum, the June 2014 diagnosis and December 2014 opinion support the conclusion that the Veteran's chronic kidney disease was caused, at least partially, by his service-connected diabetes mellitus. There is no medical opinion contrary to this conclusion. Accordingly, service connection for chronic kidney disease, secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, on a causation basis, is warranted. Jonathan Hager Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans' Appeals Attorney for the Board B. Elwood, Counsel The Board's decision in this case is binding only with respect to the instant matter decided. This decision is not precedential and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.