Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2012

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension and type II diabetes mellitus due to inadequate VA examinations, and further development is needed.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of her husband's death, finding that there was no credible evidence linking his untimely death to his military service or to his service-connected right knee disorder.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and a right knee disability were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for service connection in these cases.

The Board found that hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by service, nor may it be presumed to have been incurred therein. The Veteran's hypertension is not shown to be proximately due to or the result of his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and loss of vision in the right eye, claimed as secondary to hypertension, have been granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have diabetic retinopathy of the right eye and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied. The claim for hypertension secondary to diabetes mellitus type II remains pending.

The Veteran's hypertension and fatigue are being remanded for further examination to determine if they are related to service, including his Gulf War service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including type II diabetes mellitus and its complications, are denied as there is no evidence of herbicide exposure during his active duty in the Panama Canal Zone. The Board finds that he did not serve in Vietnam or any other location where herbicide exposure can be presumed.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain the Veteran's service treatment records and any recent VA outpatient treatment records. The claims will be remanded for these actions.

The Board found no current disability of the left knee, bladder or gastrointestinal system. The Veteran's service treatment records did not show any complaints, symptoms or diagnoses related to these conditions during his active duty. VA examinations and treatment records also failed to identify any such disabilities. Therefore, the claims for service connection were denied.

The Veteran's claim is being remanded because the VA examiner did not provide an opinion on whether his hypertension was caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The case will be returned for a new examination to address this issue.

The Board finds that the Veteran's currently diagnosed hypertension first manifested during active service and grants service connection for hypertension.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity and hypertension are being remanded due to incomplete records, conflicting medical opinions, and need for additional examinations.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to decide the Veteran's claims for service connection and total disability based on individual unemployability.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a right arm disability, an enlarged heart with scarring, and failing eyesight. The Board finds that the issues of service connection for these conditions are remanded.,An increased rating for hypertension is denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension and cardiac disability secondary to PTSD due to insufficient reasoning in a previous VA examination report. The case is now being readjudicated.

The Board found that the Veteran's respiratory disorder, low back disability, acquired psychiatric disability, and hypertension were not incurred or aggravated by service. The evidence did not support a finding of direct service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left knee osteoarthritis and hypertension were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher evaluations under applicable rating criteria.

The Board finds that the Veteran's currently diagnosed hypertension is not connected to his military service or a service-connected disability, and therefore denies the claim for service connection.