Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2011

The Veteran's hypertension, which required continuous medication for control, was granted an initial 10 percent rating effective August 14, 2005.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for atrial fibrillation as secondary to his service-connected hypertension. The issue of an increased rating for hypertension remains pending, and the issue of service connection for chronic kidney disease other than diabetic nephropathy is also pending.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has granted service connection for right foot plantar fasciitis and finds that the Veteran's current hypertension is at least as likely as not related to his military service.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for a low back disorder, arterial hypertension, and sinusitis. The underlying merits of these claims are now being considered on their own merits.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's currently diagnosed sleep apnea had its onset during his second period of active military service and is therefore incurred in service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and a skin disorder, finding that there was no evidence of a direct relationship to his service or any presumptive conditions related to herbicide exposure. The Board also found that the Veteran's PTSD did not cause or aggravate his hypertension.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, arthralgia, and cataracts of the left eye. The decision will not be further appealed.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to his failure to appear at a scheduled Travel Board hearing. He was previously granted service connection for left shoulder dislocations and denied service connection for hypertension, gout, right wrist condition, left wrist condition, right ankle condition, left ankle condition, and left leg condition.

The Board has determined that the reduction in the rating for residuals of prostate cancer from 60 percent to 40 percent, effective September 1, 2005, was improper and restored the prior 60 percent rating. The Veteran's hypertension claim is addressed in a separate REMAND portion.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions are not related to his military service, including exposure to herbicides. Service connection is denied for all issues.

The Board has determined that additional medical opinions are needed to address the nature and etiology of the Veteran's hearing loss, tinnitus, and hypertension. The case is therefore being remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension, migraine headaches, and sleep apnea are not proximately caused by or aggravated by his service-connected mood disorder. Therefore, these claims for service connection have been denied.

The Board has granted the appellant's request to reopen her claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that new and material evidence has been submitted. The issue will now be remanded for further development.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by his service, including exposure to herbicides. The Board also determined that it is less likely than not that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus caused or aggravated his hypertension.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn for the claims of service connection for hypercholesterolemia and an initial rating greater than 10 percent for tinnitus. The claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss remains pending.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine if his service-connected disabilities render him unemployable.

The Board has granted an initial noncompensable rating for hypertension and a subsequent 20 percent rating effective from April 1, 2010. The Veteran's gastrointestinal disability and acquired psychiatric disorder are not service connected.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disorder, including hypertension, was denied as there is no evidence of a direct relationship to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him totally unemployable, as he is capable of securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.