Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2012

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and found that the Veteran's low back disability, skin condition, and migraine headaches are related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and erectile dysfunction are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records, VA medical opinions, and treatment records. The issues include determining whether these conditions are related to his military service or secondary to his diabetes mellitus.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, chip fracture of left talus, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, and gout. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to military service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and asking the Veteran to identify all treatment received since August 2007. The Veteran is also to be scheduled for a VA examination to determine the etiology of his hypertension, abdominal aortic aneurysm residuals, and diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a videoconference hearing. The issues of service connection for tricuspid regurgitation, removal of gallbladder, genitourinary disorder, and right hip disorder will be addressed in separate decisions.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) has been granted. The Board finds that the Veteran is unable to obtain or maintain any gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational experience, by reason of service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for a right hand disorder and hypertension as secondary to service-connected disability in August 2010. New evidence submitted since then does not relate to an unestablished fact that raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension as it is aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected PTSD. The claim for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) remains pending.

The Veteran's service-connected tinnitus is assigned a 10 percent evaluation, the maximum authorized under Diagnostic Code 6260. The Board finds that there is no legal basis for an increased rating.

The Veteran's hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by service, may not be presumed to have been incurred in service, and is not secondary to service-connected PTSD and/or service-connected Type II diabetes mellitus on the basis of proximate cause or aggravation. As such, service connection for hypertension will be denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection or entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for PTSD, as his conditions were not incurred in service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not incur hypertension or myocardial infarction during his active duty service and that these conditions are not otherwise attributable to service. Therefore, service connection for both conditions is denied.

The Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, gout, sleep apnea, right hip bursitis, right knee disorder, and left knee disorder are remanded due to the need for further development regarding service connection.

The Veteran's hypertension is not related to active service or a service-connected disability, and the claim for service connection as due to diabetes mellitus is also denied.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for hypertension has been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension and an acquired psychiatric disorder are being remanded due to the inextricability between these issues. The issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder must be fully developed and adjudicated before any final determination can be made on the hypertension claim.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service and denied his claim.

The Board is seeking clarification on whether the Veteran's hypertension is due to or caused by his service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus and ischemic heart disease. The examiner must provide an opinion regarding both the direct relationship of hypertension to these conditions as well as any aggravation.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for hypertension and finds that new evidence received since the April 2006 denial raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim. The Veteran's hypertension is now considered secondary to his diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy, sleep apnea, hearing loss, and tinnitus were denied. The Board found no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service.