Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2013

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service records and a need for clarification on the exact dates of the Veteran's periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA). The claim will be reconsidered after these issues are resolved.

The Board denied service connection for hepatitis C, hypertension, and a dental disability. The Veteran's claims were not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board denied ratings in excess of 40 percent for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, granted 20 percent ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities prior to December 15, 2009, and denied a rating in excess of 30 percent for peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity from December 15, 2009, and denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity from December 15, 2009.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a medical opinion addressing the etiology of the Veteran's hypertension and whether it is related to PTSD or exposure to herbicides.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension has been granted, and he is now entitled to a noncompensable disability rating. The claims of entitlement to service connection for headaches, rash of the bilateral arms, and colon polyps have also been reopened.

The Board has determined that the cause of death (recurrent cholangitis and hypertension) is not related to active military service or a service-connected disability.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death and the claim for VA Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance benefits under Chapter 35. The immediate cause of the Veteran's death was acute respiratory failure secondary to bilateral pulmonary emboli, right lung infarction, left health care associated pneumonia, sepsis with sepsis shock and staphylococcal bacteremia, status post left cerebral infarction with post t-PA thrombolysis, atrial fibrillation and dyslipidemia. Other significant conditions contributing to death included type two diabetes mellitus, hypertension, emphysema and aspiration pneumonia.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death during the course of the appeal process.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for spondylosis of the thoracolumbar spine has been granted. The claims for allergies, hearing loss, glaucoma, and rheumatoid arthritis and/or arthritis of the cervical spine, elbows, wrists, and hips have also been granted with appropriate ratings. Other claims were denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension warrants a compensable rating of 10 percent since August 13, 2008.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, to include as secondary to PTSD and adhesive pericarditis, is being remanded due to the need for additional development including an examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a TDIU either on a schedular or an extraschedular basis.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, cervical spine disability, erectile dysfunction, urinary incontinence, and right and left knee disabilities as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected back disability. The decision also addressed issues related to TDIU.

The Board found no evidence of a diagnosis for depression and denied service connection for both depression and hypertension. The Veteran's current diagnoses are not related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including searching morning reports from March 1964 and April 1964 to determine if the Veteran set foot in Vietnam. The claims will be readjudicated after this development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not have its onset in active duty service and is not otherwise related to active duty service. The Board also found that hypertension was not caused or permanently aggravated by any of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Board found that hypertension did not have its clinical onset in service and is not otherwise related to active duty. It was not incurred or aggravated by service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated during active service, may not be presumed to have been so incurred, and is not secondarily related to a service-connected condition.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and is not proximately due to his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The left upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome issue resulted in a denial of an initial rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board found that hypertension was not incurred in service and is not related to any service-connected disability. The Veteran's blood pressure readings during service were within normal limits, and there is no evidence of a chronic condition manifesting within one year after service.