Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2013

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for tinnitus, hypertension, and peripheral neuropathy. The Board found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service.

The Board denied service connection for the claimed conditions, finding that they were not caused or aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for a depressive disorder and hypertension, finding that these conditions are likely to have had their clinical onset during the Veteran's active service. The right knee meniscus tear status-post arthroscopy is also granted an initial 10% rating.

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

The Veteran's heart disorders were not shown to be related to his military service and the Board denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sickle cell disease has been reopened and is granted. He is also awarded secondary service connection for multiple conditions as secondary to his sickle cell disease, including right shoulder/arm disorder, hemorrhoids (blood in stool), fungal dermatitis, psychiatric disorder (depression), hypertension, diabetes mellitus, low back disorder, heart condition, eye disorders (glaucoma and blindness in the left eye), muscle and joint pain, erectile dysfunction, and alopecia. His rating for vertigo remains at 30 percent.

The Veteran's claims of entitlement to separate, compensable initial ratings for erectile dysfunction and hypertension are being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and examinations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, retinopathy, and atypical chest pain due to posttraumatic stress disorder have all been granted based on presumptive exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board found that there is not enough evidence to support the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and residuals of left knee injuries.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of hypertension, and thus denied service connection for this condition. Service connection was also denied for hemorrhoids.

The Veteran's hypertension and PTSD have not been found to be related to service or a service-connected disability. The Veteran's PTSD has resulted in a rating of 50 percent since October 12, 2012.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis A and B, hypertension, migraine headaches, and hepatitis C have been denied. The initial rating claim for hypertension has also been denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been granted. The Board finds that the Veteran has a current diagnosis of PTSD and credible supporting evidence of an in-service stressor, thus meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disorder and hypertension. The case is remanded for further development, including VA examinations.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the basic eligibility requirements for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant due to lack of loss of use of extremities or blindness.

The Board has remanded the appeal for additional development, including obtaining VA examination reports and obtaining treatment records. The Veteran's claims for higher initial evaluations for his service-connected disabilities are also being remanded.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension was not present in service, did not manifest within one year thereafter, and is not otherwise related to service. The claim for service connection for hypertension was denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a skin disorder, blackouts, and hypertension have been denied. The Board found no evidence of secondary service connection for the skin disorder due to diabetes mellitus type II. Blackouts were not diagnosed during or after service, and there is no evidence linking the condition to military service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's hypertension disability was not incurred in or aggravated by her second period of active service. The evidence does not support a finding that she had hypertension prior to this period, and there is no indication that it was aggravated during service.

The Board is remanding the claims to obtain Social Security Administration records and any ongoing VA medical treatment records for consideration.