Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2010

The Veteran's hypertension claim has been reopened, but the Board is remanding her cervical spine and lumbar spine disability ratings as well as her headache disability rating for additional development. The case will be further reviewed after these issues are addressed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, and hypertension. The evidence did not support a finding of in-service exposure to herbicides or any link between the claimed conditions and service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions, including bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy and hypertension, are not related to his military service or service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II. The claims for service connection have been denied.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to January 30, 2005 for service connection have been denied as there is no evidence of a claim filed prior to that date.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected conditions did not cause or materially contribute to his death. However, further medical opinion is needed regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected auriculoventricular block contributed to his death.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disorder, an eye disorder characterized by refractive error and a temporal chorioretinal scar, and hypertension has been granted. The left foot disorder issue is remanded.

The Board found no nexus between the Veteran's active military service and his current hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, peripheral neuropathy of bilateral upper and lower extremities, or diabetic retinopathy. The appeal was denied.

The Board is remanding the case for additional development to determine if there is a material causal role of the Veteran's service-connected anxiety disability in his death or any underlying conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension and kidney disorder are not related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, and thus denied both claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is not related to his service or any service-connected condition, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is not related to his service-connected type II diabetes mellitus and therefore denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's PTSD is found to be related to his combat experiences during service, and the claim for service connection is granted. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, low back disability, heart disease (due to herbicide exposure), and hypertension are not addressed as they do not involve service connection.

The Board has determined that there is no valid diagnosis of PTSD, and the Veteran's current psychiatric disabilities are not related to service. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension, PTSD, and depression due to lack of credible evidence supporting in-service stressors related to Vietnam service.

VA determined that the Veteran does not have a confirmed diagnosis of PTSD, as there were no records showing a current diagnosis at any time during the pendency of his appeal. Therefore, service connection for PTSD was denied. For the hypertension claim, VA found that the evidence did not show blood pressure readings reaching 110/80 or higher diastolic or 200/120 or higher systolic on a predominant basis at any time during the pendency of his appeal.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and providing proper VCAA notice.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether hypertension is secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus. The Veteran will need to provide additional medical records and undergo a VA examination.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's heart condition as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, Type II. The issues of hypertension and diabetic retinopathy with cataracts are addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Board has determined that additional medical records and examinations are needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection for optic nerve atrophy, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus.