Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2013

The Veteran's hypertension is not service connected as there is no evidence of its onset during his active service and the VA examiner concluded that it is not related to his diabetes.,There is insufficient evidence to establish a connection between the Veteran's ischemic heart disease and his active service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine with spondylolisthesis and chronic sinusitis, render him incapable of obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal on the issue of service connection for hypertension.

The Board found that the evidence submitted since the June 2005 rating decision is not new and material, and does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim of entitlement to service connection for hypertension. Therefore, the Veteran's claim remains denied.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability and hypertension, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his in-service injury. The rating assigned is 0%.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, tinnitus, heart disease, PTSD, arthritis, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, and back disorder. The appeals were based on direct evidence of a link between each condition and service.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing addendum opinions from a VA examiner regarding the aggravation of service-connected diabetes mellitus by hypertension, peripheral vascular disease, and erectile dysfunction.

The Board has remanded the claims due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran, and instructed that they be readjudicated based on all available evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy of the extremities, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since March 9, 2007. The VA has determined that he is unemployable due to his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bronchitis, residuals of a contusion of the right hand, and hypertension have been withdrawn. The Board finds that there is no current evidence of chronic disabilities such as right foot disorder, bilateral corneal abrasions, pseudofolliculitis barbae, or sinusitis. Hypertension was not shown within one year of service.

The Veteran's right shoulder disorder, heart condition, and/or hypertension were not service-connected.,Bilateral hearing loss was also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, left eye disability, and gout must be remanded due to a lack of a VA examination addressing these conditions. The Veteran is not shown to have experienced any of these disabilities in service or within one year following separation from service.

The Veteran's hypertension was not found to be related to service or exposure to herbicides, and thus denied for accrued benefits purposes. The claim for an earlier effective date for PTSD was also denied.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for hypertension was denied as her blood pressure readings did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under VA regulations.

The Board found that hypertension was not incurred in service and is not related to the Veteran's diabetes mellitus or ischemic heart disease, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including new VA examinations to determine the relationship between his current hypertension and sinusitis with service, as well as the severity of his sinusitis.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension, erectile dysfunction, bilateral hearing loss, and new/reopened claims for basal cell carcinoma and keratosis/cysts/chloracne to allow for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have diabetes mellitus, Type II. The issues of hypertension and radiculopathy/peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities are addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Veteran's current hypertension was proximately caused by his service-connected diabetes, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition on a secondary basis.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional service and personnel records, clarify his actual dates of active service, provide Kent-compliant notice for the left shoulder disability claim, schedule VA examinations for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and a left knee disability, and readjudicate all issues on appeal.