Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2012

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing an opinion on the etiology of his hypertension.

The Veteran's hypertension is currently under appeal, with the Board requesting additional evidence and a new VA examination to determine its etiology. The Veteran contends that her current hypertension may be related to her service-connected right kidney failure/nephrectomy.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development due to unclear service records and need for a medical nexus opinion regarding the etiology of the veteran's hypertension.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the claims.,The Veteran's petition to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea has been withdrawn. The RO/AMC will gather any outstanding VA treatment records and obtain private medical records from identified sources, including those related to his skin disorder.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the claims.,The Veteran's petition to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for depression has been withdrawn. The RO/AMC will gather any outstanding VA treatment records and obtain private medical records from identified sources, including those related to his skin disorder.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the claims.,The Veteran's petition to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for hypertension has been withdrawn. The RO/AMC will gather any outstanding VA treatment records and obtain private medical records from identified sources, including those related to his skin disorder.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the claims.,The Veteran's petition to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for arthritis has been withdrawn. The RO/AMC will gather any outstanding VA treatment records and obtain private medical records from identified sources, including those related to his skin disorder.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the claims.,The Veteran's petition to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for hair loss has been withdrawn. The RO/AMC will gather any outstanding VA treatment records and obtain private medical records from identified sources, including those related to his skin disorder.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the claims.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and for further examination. The claims will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Veteran's arteriosclerotic heart disease is service-connected due to herbicide exposure. The status of his claims for partial loss of vision and hypertension secondary to diabetes mellitus, type II remains pending.

The Board has ordered additional development to verify the Veteran's service dates, obtain hospital records from his service, and conduct a VA examination. The appeal is currently remanded for these purposes.

The Veteran's hypertension rating is being reviewed for the period between August 1975 and January 2005, including whether it was properly discontinued. The service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as anxiety disorder and PTSD) will be remanded to obtain a VA examination.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder.,Service connection was denied for a heart disorder, hypertension, and prostate problems. The claims were based on direct service connection rather than secondary or presumptive service connection.

The Veteran's hypertension is found to be causally related to active duty service and granted service connection. The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 30 percent, reflecting occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a new examination to determine the nature and etiology of any current hypertension. The Veteran's hypertension was first noted on March 24, 2007, during his active duty.

The Board finds that the Veteran's hypertension is not related to service, including his PTSD. The claim for service connection for hypertension is denied.

The Board denied service connection for left ear hearing loss and hypertension, finding that the evidence did not support a link between these conditions and military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension did not have onset in service and was not caused or permanently aggravated by his active military service, to include his service connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for headaches has been dismissed as the benefit sought on appeal is already in effect.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining medical records and providing a VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to consider the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his hypertension and to determine if a diagnosis of PTSD can be assigned.

The Board has received notification of the appellant's withdrawal of all issues, including service connection for coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus with chronic kidney disease, and hypertension. As a result, the appeal is dismissed.

The Veteran has a current bilateral hearing loss disability that is at least as likely as not related to his military service, specifically the noise exposure during combat in Vietnam. The Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's chronic fatigue syndrome is found to be secondary to his service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder and sinusitis.