Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2012

The Board has granted an initial noncompensable evaluation for hypertension, but has determined that a higher rating is not warranted.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for low back disability and denied it on the merits. Service connection was also denied for obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and sleep apnea as secondary to obesity.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a dose estimate of his total exposure to ionizing radiation due to his work duties and all sources of ionizing radiation (including alpha, beta, gamma and neutron).

The Veteran's appeal is remanded to determine the etiology of his currently diagnosed hypertension and its relationship to service or a service-connected disability, including as secondary to type II diabetes mellitus.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including hypertension, a headache disability, lung condition (to include pneumonia), chronic eye pain, and chronic bone and body pain. The reasons were not provided in this decision.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for coronary artery disease and hypertension as secondary to his service-connected COPD have been dismissed due to the appellant's withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hypertension. The claim is now pending for further development.

The Board found no evidence of a spine disorder or low back disorder in service, and denied the claim based on lack of credible evidence. The respiratory disorder was determined to be secondary to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which is not service-connected. Tinnitus was also considered secondary to GERD. Hypertension was not found to be related to service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining service treatment records and private treatment records. The appellant's status is unclear due to his claimed veteran status.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for hypertension as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus was denied, and the effective date for this award is November 5, 2009.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus was rated at 10 percent from October 10, 2007 to February 4, 2008. The rating was granted as the condition did not require insulin or oral hypoglycemic agent in addition to restricted diet.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded to obtain additional medical records and to schedule the Veteran for VA examinations. The effective date of his grant of service connection for PTSD is also being remanded.

The Veteran's hypertension and prostatitis have been granted service connection. The other issues remain pending.

The Veteran's claims for COPD, hypertension, and heart disease are being remanded due to the need to establish service connection as secondary to a psychiatric disorder. The claim of service connection for a psychiatric disorder is also being considered.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (diabetes mellitus type 2, coronary artery disease, hypertension, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, and peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity) prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU based on this evidence.

The Board finds that service connection for hypertension is granted as it is at least as likely as not related to his service-connected PTSD and diabetes mellitus. The skin disorder claim is denied as the evidence does not support a finding of a direct or secondary relationship with service or service-connected conditions.

The Board has found that the Veteran's hypertension was not caused by or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted service connection based on a verified in-service stressor. Service connection for hypertension is denied as it is not presumed due to herbicide exposure and there is no evidence of record linking the condition to his military service or diabetes.

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

The Board has granted service connection for erectile dysfunction, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, and blurred vision (diabetic retinopathy) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus.