Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2010

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions were denied. The Board found no evidence to support the Veteran's assertions of current disabilities related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension and diabetes mellitus were incurred during her active service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's hypertension, coronary artery disease (CAD), and peripheral vascular disease (PVD).

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current skin disorder, heart disorder, sinus disorder, and hypertension are not related to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by service and may not be presumed to have been so incurred or aggravated. The claim for secondary service connection based on PTSD was also denied.

The Veteran's claimed hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by his active duty service, nor may it be presumed to be incurred in or aggravated by such service. The Board finds that the Veteran's hypertension is not causally related to and has not been aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), finding that there was no evidence to support these conditions developing in service or being caused by his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's hypertension was diagnosed within one year of his discharge from service and treated with medication. The Board grants service connection for hypertension.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to schedule a Travel Board hearing due to his absence from the previously scheduled hearing.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee disability, hypertension, and headaches was reopened. Service connection was granted for the left knee disability with a rating of 10 percent effective from September 2005.

The Veteran's claims for increased rating for hypertension, service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome of the right wrist, and reopening a previously denied claim for lumbar spine disability were all denied by the RO. The decision also granted service connection for hypertension but assigned a noncompensable disability rating.

The Veteran's hypertension and psychiatric disorder claims are being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for medical examinations to determine if his conditions are related to service.

The Board found no support for the appellant's assertion that the Veteran's service-connected cervical spine disability was related to his death from cardiovascular disease and other conditions. The evidence did not show a link between the Veteran's service-connected condition and the causes of his death.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a back injury and hypertension, including as secondary to PTSD are both denied. The Board found no credible evidence of an in-service back injury and concluded that the Veteran's current back condition is not related to his military service. For hypertension, the Board determined there was no direct service incurrence or presumptive service connection due to its onset many years after separation from service and did not find it secondary to PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn prior to the Board making a decision.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for skin tags and herpes zoster lesions (claimed as a skin disorder) was withdrawn. The Board also found that the Veteran does not have current peripheral neuropathy, and thus cannot establish service connection on a secondary basis to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II. The issue of service connection for COPD is addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development to obtain medical opinions regarding whether his current conditions are related to his service-connected PTSD.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral tinea pedis and onychomycosis, ulcers, heart disorder with hypertension, GERD, prostate disorder, erectile dysfunction, diverticulitis, skin disorder of the hands and feet, and pre-cancer skin condition are all related to his service-connected PTSD.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus and hypertension as the evidence did not establish exposure to herbicide agents or direct service connection.