Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2011

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a video conference hearing at the RO, with appropriate notification to the veteran and representative.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development of his service personnel records and private treatment records.

The Board found that hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities are not service-connected due to Agent Orange exposure or as a result of diabetes mellitus.

The Board finds that the service-connected disabilities did not cause or contribute to the Veteran's death. The competent medical evidence does not support a finding that any of his service-connected conditions were related to his death.

The Board found that the evidence does not support service connection for a cardiovascular disorder, hypertension, or a gastrointestinal (GI) disorder. The Veteran's symptoms were noted during his service but did not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and residuals of cerebral artery stroke as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected type II diabetes mellitus. Service connection for a neurological disability of the left upper extremity is denied.

The Veteran's hypertension was diagnosed within one year of his service discharge and treated with medication, meeting the criteria for presumptive service connection.

The Veteran died in May 2006 from multiple organ failure due to pneumonia. His service records do not show any exposure to herbicides or other conditions that could be linked to his death. The Board finds no evidence of a service connection for the cause of death.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for hypertension, which he contends is secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus and/or due to exposure to Agent Orange during his Vietnam service. The Board finds that additional development of the evidence is needed to determine if service connection can be granted on either theory.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for impotence and hypertension, finding new and material evidence. The appeals are granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need to obtain additional medical records and provide a VA examination.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed in order to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining service records and addressing her claims for service connection.

The Veteran's medical conditions do not meet the criteria for special monthly pension based on need for regular aid and attendance of another person or being housebound.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's status post L4-5 and L5-S1 anterior interbody fusion with chronic low back pain. The claims for increased ratings for hypertension and coronary artery disease are being remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for coronary artery disease was denied, as the evidence did not show more than one episode of acute congestive heart failure in the past year or a workload greater than 5 METs resulting in dyspnea, fatigue, angina, dizziness, or syncope. The claim for hypertension also failed to meet the criteria for an increased rating.

The Board finds no current residuals of the Veteran's in-service heat stroke and denies his claims for service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension did not manifest during service or within one year of separation, and is not causally related to his military service. The Board also determined that there was no evidence showing a nexus between the Veteran's hypertension and his service-connected knee disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension is not related to his military service or herbicide exposure, and thus denied service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's hypertension is being remanded for additional examination and medical opinion to determine if it is at least as likely as not caused by or permanently aggravated by service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination for PTSD, issuance of a statement of the case on service connection claims for hypertension, prostatitis with erectile dysfunction, renal stones, and a renal cyst, and obtaining additional relevant records.