Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2012

The Board dismissed the claim of service connection for hypertension in March 2012, but later vacated this dismissal due to the Veteran's clarification that he did not intend to withdraw his appeal. The issue is now remanded for further adjudication.

The Veteran's hypertension is being reviewed for possible secondary to his service-connected generalized anxiety disorder. Additional development, including a VA examination, is needed.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for VA examinations to assess his right knee disability and hypertension.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a supplemental VA opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's hypertension and his service-connected diabetes and ischemic heart disease.

The Board has decided the case needs further review due to conflicting medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's erectile dysfunction is caused or aggravated by his hypertension.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a disability manifested by temporary memory loss and respiratory disabilities, were denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities or etiological links to his military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetic retinopathy. The Veteran's hypertension was not found to be related to his diabetes mellitus, and there is no evidence that it was caused or aggravated by his service-connected condition. His diabetic retinopathy has also been denied as the preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding of secondary service connection.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to the need for additional development, including obtaining mental hygiene records from service and seeking verification of a claimed in-service stressor. The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is also inextricably intertwined with his claim for service connection for hypertension with CAD.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee disability, hypertension, headaches, loss of memory, bilateral eye disability, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, otitis media, and meningitis. The new evidence received since the January 2004 decisions relates to the basis for the prior denials.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension was not incurred or aggravated in service and may not be presumed to have been incurred in service. The claim for service connection for hypertension was denied.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for PTSD. The Board granted service connection for CVA as secondary to diabetes mellitus and hypertension.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for a ruptured left eardrum, chronic acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), chronic gastrointestinal disorder (including hiatal hernia and GERD), chronic hypertension, and chronic erectile dysfunction. The effective dates for the awards of service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus were also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension was incurred in service and his coronary artery disease is at least as likely as not related to his hypertension. Therefore, both conditions are granted service connection.

The Veteran's claims for prostate cancer, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus due to Agent Orange exposure are denied. The claim of service connection for a prostate disorder other than cancer is pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension and eye disorder are not service-connected, as they were not shown to be related to his military service or any presumptive exposure to herbicides. The claim for secondary service connection was also denied due to lack of medical evidence supporting a causal relationship between the service-connected diabetes mellitus and these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's Meniere's syndrome and hypertension are related to his military service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and medical opinions. The VA will provide a Statement of the Case (SOC) addressing her claims, obtain all pertinent records, and schedule her for VA examinations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is related to service and grants his claim for service connection.

The Board finds that there is no evidence of hypertension during service and the preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that it was incurred or aggravated by diabetes mellitus or exposure to Agent Orange. As such, service connection for hypertension cannot be granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension, nephrolithiasis, right foot disability, and hearing loss were not incurred or aggravated by service. The PTSD claim was denied as well.