Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2012

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, Type II Diabetes Mellitus, hypertension, peripheral neuropathy, arthritis, a bilateral knee disability, and a bilateral eye disability. The decision also addressed his claim for TDIU but did not specify its outcome.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and providing an opinion on whether the Veteran's hypertension is related to service or his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claims for service connection, increased ratings, and TDIU were denied. The Veteran was not granted service connection for squamous-cell carcinoma of the left foot due to lack of chronicity in service or continuity of symptoms post-service. Service connection for diabetes mellitus with hypertension and nephropathy, bilateral hearing loss, and PTSD were also denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to schedule the appellant for a Travel Board hearing. The issues of service connection for hypertension, reopening of a claim for allergic rhinitis, and an initial rating for transverse colon cancer residuals remain in appellate status.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for various conditions, including fractured ribs, lumbar spine osteoarthritis, abdominal aortic aneurysm, and hypertension. The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the nature of these conditions and their relationship to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development and consideration of his claims, including seeking inpatient treatment records from Long Beach Naval Hospital and his personnel file.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination and issuance of a SOC regarding his bruxism claim. The hypertension claim will be considered on the merits.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations. The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and reopening of a claim are to be reconsidered.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for coronary artery disease, as secondary to his service-connected pulmonary hypertension. The case is REMANDED for a VA examination and an addendum opinion addressing whether the Veteran's current coronary artery disease is related to his military service.

The Board has ordered additional development to obtain VA treatment records and a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's claimed coronary artery disease (CAD). The appeal is currently in remand status.

The Board found that hypertension was not present during active duty, did not manifest to a compensable degree within one year from the date of separation from service in November 1968, and is unrelated to an injury, disease, or event of service origin, including service-connected diabetes mellitus and posttraumatic stress disorder.

The Veteran's gynecomastia is not service connected as it did not manifest in service and there is no evidence of a nexus between the current condition and his military service. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against this claim.,Regarding hypertension, the VA examiner concluded that there was no secondary service connection based on PTSD. However, another VA physician provided an opinion linking PTSD to hypertension. The Board sought clarification from VHA regarding whether there is a relationship between PTSD and hypertension in the Veteran's case.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent, the highest possible rating under the criteria for mental disorders. The decision also granted an evaluation in excess of 30 percent for PTSD.

The Veteran's appeals are mixed, with some issues granted and others denied or remanded. The main claims include increased ratings for various conditions, service connection for sleep apnea, and the propriety of reductions in disability ratings.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including jaw injury, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, tuberculosis with shortness of breath, dizziness and fainting, weight loss, and eye disability. The decisions are based on a finding that these conditions were not incurred or aggravated by service.

The Board found that the Veteran's lung disorder, sleep apnea, and pulmonary hypertension are not related to his military service or asbestos exposure. The VA examiners concluded that these conditions were not caused by or aggravated by his service-connected asbestos pleural plaque.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) were not incurred in or aggravated by service, as there is no evidence of a relationship between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hypertension, including consideration of herbicide exposure.

The Veteran died due to an acute myocardial infarction and coronary artery disease. The VA did not provide any fault in the care provided, as evidenced by a VA opinion that found no evidence of negligence or error on their part.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a Video Conference hearing before the Board to be held at the VA Regional Office in San Antonio, Texas.