Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2011

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. The Board cannot proceed with the merits of this claim as he is no longer alive.

The Board has remanded the case due to missing VA pension documents and medical records from the 1950s, as well as potential additional relevant San Juan VAMC records. The claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death will be reconsidered.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension and heart disorder are not related to his military service, including presumed exposure to herbicides. The claims for service connection have been denied.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU benefits is remanded due to the need for additional evidence and a VA examination.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and a heart disability, all potentially related to exposure to Agent Orange during his military service. The Board has determined that additional development is needed to verify the Veteran's claimed herbicide exposure and obtain outstanding VA treatment records.

The Veteran's tinnitus, hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, erectile dysfunction, and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities were not shown to be related to service.,Service connection was denied for all claimed conditions.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for an unspecified lung disability due to new and material evidence. However, the Veteran's hypertension is not found to be related to his military service or exposure to herbicides.

The Board found that the Veteran's chronic sinus disorder and hypertension were not incurred in or aggravated by service, as there was no evidence of such conditions during service. The preexisting conditions are presumed to have been sound at entry into service.

The Veteran's hypertension was not present during service or within one year of service and the medical evidence does not support a link between his current condition and military service, including radiation exposure. Therefore, service connection for hypertension is denied.

The Board has ordered the RO to obtain all outstanding records from VAMC Philadelphia related to the Veteran's treatment. The appeal will be remanded for further development and readjudication.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to unclear information regarding his exposure to herbicides during service. The Board needs to determine if the USS Passumpsic-AO-107 was stationed in inland waterways of Vietnam (Brown Water Service) when the Veteran served aboard the ship between May 1972 and October 1972.

The Veteran's hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, its incurrence or aggravation during active service may not be presumed, and it is not proximately due to, the result of, or aggravated by service-connected PTSD.

The Board finds that the Veteran's hypertension did not manifest during service or within one year of separation, and there is no evidence to support a finding that it was caused by his service-connected migraine headaches. The Veteran's hypertension may be aggravated by his service-connected migraines.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including PTSD, sleep apnea, and chronic back condition, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his psychiatric disorders and physical disabilities. The Board has granted a TDIU based on these factors.

The Veteran's erectile dysfunction, hypertension, cardiac condition, right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy and left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy are all found to be secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's service-connected arteriosclerotic heart disease with angina and hypertension is considered to have contributed substantially or materially to his death from small cell carcinoma of the lung.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities. The combined disability rating is 60% from June 20, 2002, and 100% from July 11, 2005.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, PTSD, residuals of radiation exposure, sinus condition, respiratory condition, and diverticulosis. The Veteran's assertions regarding continuity of symptomatology were not supported by the evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient notice and a need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and determining if service connection is warranted.

The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for service connection and TDIU were denied as there was no evidence of unemployability prior to April 1, 1999.