Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2011

The Board has remanded the case due to missing service treatment records and further development is required.

The Board found that the Veteran's cardiac disability was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, and complications related to the cardiac disorder were not incurred in or aggravated by service and are not causally related to service-connected disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing proper VCAA notice.

The Veteran's hypertension and acquired psychiatric disability were not incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The Veteran's hypertension is not shown to meet or approximate the criteria for a compensable rating under VA's rating schedule. The evidence does not show that his systolic blood pressure was predominantly greater than 160, nor did he have diastolic pressures predominantly 100 or more, and there is no evidence of hypertensive heart disease.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as his combined disability rating is only 50 percent.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence linking the condition to his active duty or any service-connected disability.

The Veteran's hypertension has been granted as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus. However, the initial evaluation for hypertension remains denied due to lack of evidence showing a diastolic pressure of predominantly 100 mm or more, or a systolic pressure of predominantly 160 mm or more.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including issuance of a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC) and an updated VA examination.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further examination and opinion regarding whether the veteran's hypertension is secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II or coronary artery disease.

The Veteran's visual disturbances, atrial fibrillation, and hypertension are found to be related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, coronary artery disease (claimed as a heart condition), and hypertension (claimed as a heart condition) is denied. The Board finds that the evidence does not meet the threshold requirements of impaired hearing for VA compensation purposes.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a skin disorder (claimed as due to Agent Orange exposure) was not addressed in the decision.,Service connection for hypertension was granted based on its secondary nature to PTSD and diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred in non-VA facilities due to emergency treatment for his service-connected conditions were authorized, as the treatment was necessary and VA facilities were not feasibly available.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is proximately due to his service-connected PTSD, and grants secondary service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease and hypertension are granted as service-connected due to exposure to herbicides in Vietnam. The hypertension is presumed to have been incurred during the one-year presumptive period following service.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by service, nor may it be presumed to have been so incurred. The evidence did not show a diagnosis of hypertension until after service discharge.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension and deviated nasal septum with sinusitis due to incomplete sentences in examination reports, requiring further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, a lung condition, left knee strain, and right knee strain. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to his military service or any incident therein.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a thorough examination and review of his medical records, including VA treatment records from Mountain Home. The examiner will assess whether any current cardiovascular disorders are related to service or specifically to exposure to herbicide agents.