Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2013

The Board has determined that further development is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection, including obtaining medical opinions regarding his claimed conditions and their relationship to service. The issues of secondary service connection for alcohol abuse to PTSD and service connection for a back disability are also being remanded.

The Veteran does not have a current disability of the right knee or thigh that is related to an injury in service. The Board finds that there is no evidence of a current gastrointestinal disorder, hypertension, or lumbar spine disability that may be associated with service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and determining the etiology of the Veteran's prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, and hypertension.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are shown as likely as not to preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment consistent with his work and education background, warranting a TDIU rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's dysthymic disorder, hypertension, and chronic nosebleeds are all service-connected. The Board found credible evidence of onset during service for dysthymic disorder and post-service diagnosis for both hypertension and chronic nosebleeds.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including review of the claims file by a psychologist and consideration of an additional statement submitted by the Veteran.

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

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy due to cold injury sustained during service. However, hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by service and may not be presumed to have been.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU benefits is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine if his service-connected disabilities render him unemployable.

The Board found that the Veteran's metastasized stomach cancer and hypertension were not incurred or aggravated by service, including exposure to herbicides. The claims for these conditions are therefore denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension had its onset during his military service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension is not related to service and is unrelated to a service-connected disability, including depressive disorder and/or left hip abductor myositis.

The Board found that the Veteran's diagnosed hypertension was not caused by or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities, including his service-connected coronary artery disease and iliac crest deformities. The evidence did not establish a link between the hypertension and any in-service injury.

The Board has remanded the case for another VA examination to determine if the Veteran's tinnitus is related to service or due to his service-connected hypertension.

The Board found that the Veteran's gout, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and heart disorder did not have their onset during service or due to any incident of service. The claims were denied.

The Board has granted service connection for rash and scarring of the right ankle, rash and scarring of the feet and legs bilaterally, and hypertension. The Veteran's skin disability is presumed to have been incurred during his active military service, while his hypertension is presumed to have become manifest within one year of separation from service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for service-connected hypertension was denied as his blood pressure readings did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation under VA's rating schedule.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is aggravated by his service-connected conditions, including major depression and PTSD, and as a result of NSAIDs used for these conditions. As such, the claim for service connection for hypertension is granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a bilateral shoulder disability, migraine headaches, CNS disability, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension, and skin disability (melanoma), have been denied as there is no current evidence of these conditions.