Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2012

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's hypertension is proximately due to or the result of his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The TDIU claim will be held in abeyance pending resolution of the hypertension issue.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, heart disability, and peripheral neuropathy of the extremities as there was no evidence of herbicide exposure during service. The Veteran's current conditions are not shown to be related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current hypertension condition did not manifest during his second period of active service and is not shown to be causally or etiologically related to service. As such, the claim for service connection for hypertension is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and right knee disability. The evidence did not establish a nexus between these conditions and service.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, and he is granted TDIU based on his service-connected PTSD.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for reopening his service connection claim for a psychiatric disorder, increased ratings for hypertension, and compensable ratings for nasal bone fracture residuals and scalp scars. The evidence did not meet the criteria to reopen the claim of service connection for a psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for hypertension, which he claims is secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The Board has determined that further development is needed before a decision can be made.

The Veteran's hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy have been granted service connection, but the Board is remanding his claims for higher initial ratings due to further development being required.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus Type 2 was reopened and granted based on exposure to herbicides in service. Service connection is also granted for hypertension as secondary to diabetes mellitus Type 2, but not for peripheral neuropathy or a bilateral eye disorder. The claim for renal insufficiency remains pending.

The Board has remanded the case for scheduling a videoconference hearing at the RO. The Veteran's claims of service connection for sleep disorder, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension are pending.

The Veteran's combined rating for service-connected disabilities is 100%, meeting the percentage requirements for a TDIU. However, the weight of medical opinion and other evidence indicates that his service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable.

The Veteran's hypertension was not shown during service or within one year of separation, and there is no medical evidence linking his current condition to service. The VA examiner found that the Veteran's blood pressure elevation preceded his diabetes mellitus diagnosis.

The Board has determined that hypertension was manifested within a year of separation from service and grants the claim for service connection.

The Board found no evidence of hypertension or eye disability during service, and thus denied the Veteran's claims for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining an opinion on whether the Veteran's hypertension is aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is at least as likely as not aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, and thus grants service connection for hypertension secondary to diabetes.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's claimed erectile dysfunction, finding that it is secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus or other service-connected disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by service, including exposure to Agent Orange. The condition is also not considered a presumptive condition for VA purposes. Additionally, there is no evidence showing that the hypertension was caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus or PTSD.

The Board found that hypertension did not manifest in service, within the one year presumptive period or for many years thereafter, and is not otherwise related to service. It was also determined that it may not be presumed to have been incurred therein, and is not proximately due to, the result of, or aggravated by service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and a heart disorder, as these conditions are not shown to be related to his active military service or presumed exposure to herbicides. The preponderance of the evidence does not support a grant of service connection.