Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2013

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain his complete service personnel file, verify herbicide exposure in Korea, and schedule VA examinations for Parkinson's disease, skin disability, and hypertension. The claims will be readjudicated based on all theories of service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension did not manifest to a compensable degree within one year of service separation and has not been continuous since service separation. Therefore, the claim for service connection for hypertension was denied.

The Veteran's service from June 2001 to May 2004 is considered active duty. Coronary artery disease and hypertension were demonstrated within one year following the Veteran's separation from service, thus establishing service connection for these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have PTSD due to any incident of his active duty service.,The Board also found that the Veteran does not have hypertension with headaches due to any incident of his active duty service.

The Board found no evidence of a current disability meeting the DSM-IV criteria for PTSD and concluded that there is insufficient medical evidence to support service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The Veteran's hypertension was also not shown to be related to active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including PTSD, hypertension, a back disorder, leiomyosarcoma, and diabetes mellitus, were denied. The Board found no evidence of in-service injury or disease related to these conditions, nor any herbicide exposure that could relate the current disabilities to service.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and is not proximately due to, or chronically aggravated by, service-connected PTSD. The claim for secondary service connection for hypertension was denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as his combined rating is at least 60% and he has other non-service connected disabilities that affect his employability. The Board finds the VA examination report to be more probative than the SSA determination in determining the Veteran's employment capabilities.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for hypertension was denied. The Board found that his hypertension did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating as it did not result in diastolic pressures predominantly 100 millimeters of mercury or greater, or systolic pressures predominantly 160 millimeters of mercury or greater.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current back disorder, skin disorder, and hypertension are not related to service or any incident of service. The claims for these conditions have been denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the relationship between hypertension and PTSD. The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, including as secondary to PTSD, is now pending.

The Board has ordered additional development to verify the Veteran's exposure to Agent Orange at Ubon Air Force Base in Thailand, which is a location outside of Vietnam. The case will be remanded for further review after this verification.

The Board found that the Veteran's residuals of a cerebral vascular accident and hypertension are not related to service, including exposure to ionizing radiation.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain an adequate medical opinion regarding the relationship between his service-connected diabetes mellitus and his diagnosed hypertension.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, a kidney disorder, and GERD. The conditions were not found to be directly related to service or secondary to service-connected ischemic heart disease.

The Veteran seeks service connection for hypertension, which he argues was first diagnosed in service. The Board is remanding the case to obtain additional medical records and provide an addendum opinion regarding whether his current diagnosis of hypertension had its clinical onset during active service or is related to any in-service disease, event, or injury.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension did not manifest during service or within one year of separation, and is not causally related to his active duty service. The Board also determined that there was no evidence showing that the Veteran's anxiety disorder aggravated his hypertension.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a single VA examination to assess the impact of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities on his ability to maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension pre-existed service and was not aggravated by service. The claims for osteoarthritis of the left hip, right hip, left hand, and right hand are denied as there is no clear and unmistakable evidence showing aggravation during service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's hypertension was not incurred in service and is not related to his active duty. The claim for PTSD has been reopened, but there is no new and material evidence to support reopening of this claim.