Secondary Condition Claim · VASRD 7530
A condition caused or aggravated by an already service-connected disability can be granted its own service connection as a secondary condition under 38 CFR § 3.310. Here's how that works for Chronic renal disease when it develops after Gastric Ulcer.
Ulcers can cause internal bleeding
Primary condition · VASRD 7305
Gastric Ulcer
A gastric ulcer is an open sore that develops in the stomach lining, typically caused by infection (H. pylori bacteria), long-term NSAID use, or chronic stress, and can cause burning pain, nausea, and in more severe cases, internal bleeding. The VA rating depends heavily on how often symptoms recur and how severe they are, not just whether an ulcer has been diagnosed.
Secondary condition · VASRD 7530
Chronic renal disease
Chronic renal disease is progressive, long-term kidney damage that impairs the kidneys' ability to filter waste from the blood, and it's presumptively connected to Gulf War and PACT Act toxin exposures like contaminated water and burn pits for qualifying veterans. The rating depends on how much kidney function has actually declined, measured through lab work.
The VA rates Chronic renal disease the same way whether it's claimed directly or as secondary to Gastric Ulcer — severity of Chronic renal disease itself determines the percentage.
Example combined rating
20% Gastric Ulcer + 80% Chronic renal disease = 84%
The VA combines ratings with Table I of 38 CFR 4.25, not simple addition — 20% and 80% combine to 84%, not 100%. These figures are illustrative; your actual rating for each condition depends on your own evaluation.
Primary condition
Full Gastric Ulcer guide
Secondary condition
Full Chronic renal disease guide
See how Gastric Ulcer and Chronic renal disease combine with the rest of your service-connected conditions using the official VA combined-ratings formula.
Open the calculator