Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2011

The Veteran's hypertension and vision problems are not related to service or a service-connected disability.

The Board finds that the Veteran's service-connected schizoaffective disorder did not contribute substantially or materially to his death, and therefore, service connection for the cause of death is denied.

The Veteran's hypertension is currently rated at a 10 percent evaluation effective June 13, 2008. The RO/AMC must schedule the Veteran for an examination to determine the current severity of his hypertension and request service treatment records from his Reserve service.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by his authorized representative prior to the Board issuing a decision.

The Veteran seeks service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and eye disorder due to herbicide exposure. The Board needs to verify the Veteran's unit history in Korea and determine if he was exposed to Agent Orange.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete service records and other issues.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is proximately aggravated by his service-connected PTSD, and thus grants service connection for hypertension as secondary to PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not sustain a cardiovascular injury or disease during service, and did not experience chronic symptoms of hypertension during service. The pre-existing heart murmur was not aggravated by service, and the pre-existing left ear hearing loss was not aggravated by service. The criteria for an initial compensable rating for right ear hearing loss are not met.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, including due to exposure to Agent Orange; entitlement to an increased evaluation for erectile dysfunction; and whether new and material evidence has been presented to reopen a claim for PTSD. The earlier effective date claim was addressed in the REMAND portion of the decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current peripheral neuropathy of his bilateral lower extremities is related to his service-connected Type II diabetes mellitus. The claim for hypertension secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus will be remanded due to insufficient examination and incomplete evidence.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to the Veteran's failure to receive correspondence and missed a VA examination. The appeal is not about service connection at all, but rather concerns evaluations and claims.

The Board found that the Veteran's diabetes, hypertension, heart disorder, tinnitus, insomnia, sleep apnea, depression, and GERD were not incurred or aggravated by his active military service. The claims for these conditions are therefore denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for thrombophlebitis and hypertension, both claimed as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.,The VA examiner found no causal relationship between the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus and either thrombophlebitis or hypertension.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension was not shown to have had its onset during service, was not manifest within one year of separation from service, and is not shown to be due to or aggravated by a service-connected disability, specifically diabetes mellitus type II and/or coronary artery disease.

The Board denied the Appellant's petitions to reopen her claims for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318, finding no new and material evidence to support these claims.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative joint disease, bilateral knees and hypertension due to new evidence showing aggravation during his second period of active duty. The claim is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to incomplete records and the need for additional examinations to determine service connection for various conditions, including Gulf War Syndrome, obesity, joint disorders, psychiatric disorder (PTSD), skin condition, headaches, and high blood pressure.

The Veteran's hypertension was found to be present within one year of his separation from service, meeting the criteria for presumptive service connection.

The Veteran's claim for a higher evaluation for his service-connected hypertension is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and an examination.

The Veteran's appeals for increased evaluations of his service-connected right elbow disorder, left elbow disorder, right thumb disorder, lumbar strain, diverticulitis, and hypertension have been withdrawn. The Veteran is now assigned a noncompensable initial evaluation for each condition.