Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2012

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, increased ratings for residuals of right ankle injury and myositis, and an earlier effective date for a rating increase were denied. The Veteran is not entitled to an earlier effective date than March 21, 2002, for the award of a 10 percent disability rating for his service-connected residuals of right ankle injury.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining OPM disability retirement records and a VA examination to determine the combined impact of his service-connected disabilities on his ability to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain additional service treatment records and conduct a VA examination. The appellant's hypertension may be related to his military service, specifically the basic training period between January 1966 and March 1966.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development of his claims, including obtaining VA medical records and providing the Veteran with a statement of the case on the claim for service connection for hepatitis A and B.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for myofascial pain syndrome, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, bilateral knee disability, hypertension, chronic sinusitis, and degenerative joint disease/degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine are all denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or a link to service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal on the issue of service connection for hypertension, and thus the case is dismissed.

The Board has remanded the case due to outstanding service records and private treatment records, as well as a need for VCAA notice regarding disability ratings and effective dates.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA and private treatment records, arranging for a VA examination to assess the severity of his left ear hearing loss disability, and providing an opinion on whether his hypertension is secondary to service-connected PTSD. The examiner must also determine if his sinusitis is related to exposure to Agent Orange during service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a new VA examination and notification regarding secondary service connection.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and found that new and material evidence has been received. The claim is granted as hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, nor is it related to a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's service-connected dysthymic disorder and hypertension contributed to his death from end-stage heart disease. The Board finds that the appellant is entitled to service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a TDIU as they are not severe enough to prevent him from engaging in substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current tinnitus was not incurred in or aggravated by active duty service. The claim for hypertension is pending and will be addressed in a separate remand.

The Veteran's service connection claims for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, skin cancer, impaired glucose tolerance and/or diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and back injury were all granted. The Veteran was assigned a 100% disability rating for PTSD from November 26, 2007 to January 26, 2009, and a greater than 50% rating thereafter.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension is not caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II, and therefore denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension and erectile dysfunction were not incurred or aggravated by service, nor are they proximately due to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's left ankle disorder is found to be service-connected, and hypertension is denied as secondary to diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a videoconference hearing before a Veterans Law Judge to address his claims of service connection for hypertension and heart disease.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for hypertension, which he claims is secondary to his service-connected PTSD. The case has been remanded for an addendum opinion from the VA examiner who performed the October 2008 VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder, left knee, right knee, hypertension, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The decision found no new and material evidence to reopen the claim for a left shoulder disability and determined that there was insufficient evidence to establish service connection for any of the other conditions.