Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2011

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain the Veteran's service treatment records, VA and private medical records, and opinions regarding whether PTSD caused cardiomyopathy.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current aortic insufficiency, secondary to dilation of the aortic root (claimed as a leaking heart valve), is related to his service-connected hypertension and grants this claim.

The Board finds that the Veteran's hypertension and residuals of partial colectomy with temporary colostomy for colonic diverticulitis with rupture are not service connected as they were not present during his active duty or within one year thereafter, and there is no evidence linking them to a service-connected disability.

The Board finds that the Veteran's hypertension is not related to his active duty for training and denies the claim.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and industrial background.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, impotence, cardiomyopathy, dementia/memory loss and edema as these conditions are not etiologically related to service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions, including heart condition, hypertension, sleep apnea, arthritis, restless leg syndrome, fibromyalgia, allergies, and residuals of a right leg injury, were denied as there is no current evidence of these conditions related to his military service or herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy is rated at 10 percent, but the claims for gastroparesis and hypertension are denied as not related to service or due to Agent Orange exposure.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, heart disease, and muscle breakdown as they were not permanently worsened by the appellant's reserve duty.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development and examination, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations.

The Board found no evidence to support the Veteran's claims of service connection for chest pain, hypertension, and joint pain of the upper extremities. The VA examiners concluded that these conditions are not related to his military service.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and hypertension. The Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's initial ratings for hypertension and headaches have been granted, with a 10 percent rating for hypertension effective April 7, 2005, and a 30 percent rating for headaches effective March 14, 2005. The appeal is resolved in the Veteran's favor on both issues.

The Veteran's claim for nonservice-connected pension is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining private medical records and VA treatment records. The Veteran will also undergo a VA examination to determine the severity of his disabilities.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral spondylolysis, L5. The claims of entitlement to service connection for hypertension and gout are being remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's current hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, nor may it be presumed to have been incurred therein. The Board finds that the Veteran's hypertension is not proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disability.

The Board has ordered a remand for the Veteran to be examined by an endocrinologist to determine if his thyroid disorder and/or hypertension were incurred or aggravated during his period of active duty training (ACDUTRA) from March 2 to April 9, 2004.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus and its related complications, including genitourinary disorders, bilateral lower extremity pain (peripheral neuropathy), vision loss, and anemia. The Veteran's right knee disorder is also now considered service-connected as secondary to his left knee disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension has improved and is now well controlled, with blood pressure readings consistently below the threshold for a higher disability rating. As such, the reduction from 40% to 10% was appropriate.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's vein disorder and hypertension are secondary to his service-connected diabetes, granting service connection for both conditions.