Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2013

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to obtain relevant medical records and provide a supplemental opinion regarding the Veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension and heart disability.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have most nearly approximated total occupational and social impairment throughout the appeal period, warranting a 100 percent rating.

The Board is remanding the case for additional development, including a VA examination to determine if hypertension is related to service-connected ischemic heart disease or exposure to Agent Orange. The Veteran's PTSD may also be considered in relation to his hypertension.

The Board determined that the Veteran's hypertension and bilateral shoulder disorder are not related to his military service, including due to herbicide exposure. The claims for these conditions were denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected as they are related to his active duty experience. The back disorder, arthritis of multiple joints, hypertension, and OSA do not have a direct link to his military service.,Service connection is granted for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient detail in the May 2012 VA examination report, specifically regarding whether the Veteran's hypertension is caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including chronic fatigue syndrome and sinusitis, have significantly interfered with her ability to maintain or obtain substantially gainful employment. The case is REMANDED for referral to the Director of Compensation and Pension Service for consideration of whether a TDIU on an extraschedular basis is warranted.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, with complications of hypertension and bilateral retinopathy, does not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 20 percent. The Board found that the Veteran's activities were not regulated due to his service-connected diabetes.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and scheduling him for VA examinations to evaluate the severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, claimed as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and a new opinion regarding the relationship between the conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension was not due to a disease or injury incurred in service, and it is not presumed to have been incurred in service. The Board also determined that the disability is not caused or aggravated by the service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's hypertension has been manifested by diastolic pressure consistently below 100 and systolic pressure consistently below 160. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against a compensable rating for hypertension.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, right shoulder disability, throat ulcers, hypertension, GERD, and fatigue. The decision is based on the current evidence not showing additional impairment beyond sensory disturbances in both feet.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, effective March 16, 2005.,The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied as his service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from engaging in substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's hypertension and scars of the chest and left lower extremity have been evaluated as noncompensable under VA rating criteria. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a compensable evaluation for any of these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The initial compensable evaluation and increased rating claim for residuals of laceration scar over right eye was denied, as the scars do not meet criteria for a compensable evaluation. The claim for an increased evaluation for fracture at the distal head of the right fifth metacarpal (dominant) was also denied. Service connection for hypertension, secondary to herbicide exposure, and service connection for a right arm disorder were both denied. PTSD was granted as incurred in active military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's disabilities, in combination, are of sufficient severity to permanently preclude him from engaging in substantially gainful employment consistent with his age, education, and occupation experience. Therefore, he is entitled to non-service-connected disability pension benefits.

The Veteran's bilateral foot disorder is found to be at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected lumbar spine condition with radiculopathy.,There is no evidence of a current disability manifested by hyperlipidemia (and elevated cholesterol levels) that is due to disease or injury incurred in service.

The Board has ordered a remand due to the need for additional VA treatment records and an opinion regarding the Veteran's hypertension and peripheral neuropathy claims.

The Board has reopened the claims for hypertension and heart disorder, but denied the petition to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea due to lack of new and material evidence.