Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2013

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension is proximately due to or the result of his service-connected PTSD, granting service connection for this condition.,Regarding the heart disorder, the VA examiner concluded it was not at least as likely as not related to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to address whether hypertension is related to service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, and PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Veteran is granted a 10% rating for hammertoes of the left foot, but no higher.,Hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, nor may service incurrence or aggravation be presumed.

The Veteran's hypertension is not service-connected as there is no evidence of a diagnosis within the first year after separation from service. The Board finds that he does not meet the threshold income criteria for non-service connected pension benefits.

The Board found that the Veteran's current hypertension was not incurred in service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's hypertension was not incurred or aggravated during his service, and the Board finds that it is not otherwise related to service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for additional development due to the need for further medical opinions regarding service connection and disability ratings.

The Veteran's PTSD is found to be related to events during active service, and the claim for service connection is granted. The claims for hypertension, back disability, and blood disability are remanded due to lack of a Statement of the Case.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, erectile dysfunction due to diabetes mellitus type II, an eye disorder due to diabetes mellitus type II, and hypertension due to diabetes mellitus type II, all related to in-service herbicide exposure. The case must be remanded as the RO did not address a recent memorandum from the Joint Services Records Research Center (JSRRC) regarding the storage of Agent Orange on Navy vessels during the Vietnam War.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and may not be presumed to have been so incurred. The Board also found that hypertension is not caused or permanently worsened by a service-connected disability.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a back disability, neck disability, right shoulder disability, and hypertension due to inadequate VA examination records. The Veteran's file will be reviewed by a VA examiner who conducted previous examinations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension warrants a noncompensable disability rating prior to January 23, 2007 and no higher. For the period beginning on January 24, 2007, the criteria for a compensable evaluation have not been met.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the criteria for a TDIU have been met.

The Board found that the Veteran did not file a timely Notice of Disagreement (NOD) to the December 2008 rating decision, which denied his claims for service connection for various conditions. As such, the appeal was denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's current cardiac disorder, diagnosed as coronary artery disease, was not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including verification of the Veteran's service in the Connecticut Air National Guard and an opinion on whether his current hypertension is related to his elevated blood pressure readings during that period.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have rheumatoid arthritis or hypertension due to service, and these conditions are denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities due to insufficient explanation in the March 2011 decision regarding the relationship between the Veteran's hypertension and his in-service exposure to herbicides. The case is now before the Board for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including excessive alcohol consumption and several unspecified disorders. The decision concluded that there was no clear and unmistakable error in the original denial.

The Board has remanded the case for further action, including scheduling a Travel Board hearing before a member of the Board at the Waco, Texas VA RO.