Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2013

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate VA examinations and unsubstantiated medical conclusions. The case is now pending further development of the record.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to the need for a new VA examination and consideration of relevant VA treatment records.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for hypertension, which he claims is secondary to his service-connected diabetes. The VA examiner's opinion was inadequate and the case is being remanded for an addendum opinion.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development of his hypertension and right knee osteoarthritis claims, including obtaining recent VA treatment records and Social Security Administration disability records.

The Veteran's hypertension and stroke were not incurred in active service, nor may they be presumed to have been incurred. The Board found no evidence of a nexus between the Veteran's current conditions and his military service.,For left knee postoperative residuals, the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a higher rating prior to September 26, 2006, or from December 1, 2007.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death, a cerebrovascular accident due to hypertension, was not caused or contributed substantially or materially by any service-connected disability. The claim is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's pes planus and hypertension were not incurred or aggravated during active service, thus denying the claims for service connection.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's case for further development, including a new VA examination and consideration of whether new evidence supports reopening his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's hypertension was not incurred or aggravated in service and is not related to his service-connected PTSD. Therefore, the claim for service connection for hypertension is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a new medical opinion regarding his hypertension claim and the need for issuance of a statement of the case on his hallux valgus claims.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and therefore, the claim for service connection for the cause of death is denied. The appellant also failed to meet the criteria for service connected burial benefits as she already received an allowance for funeral and burial expenses.

The Veteran's right ankle DJD is rated at 10 percent, the maximum available rating. The evidence does not show marked limited motion of the ankle.,There is no current hearing loss disability for VA purposes and service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied.,Hypertension was not shown to have onset during or within one year after service and there is no competent medical evidence linking it to military service.

The Veteran meets the percentage requirements for TDIU due to his anxiety disorder and diabetes mellitus, type II. The Board also granted service connection for hypertension and erectile dysfunction as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Board has remanded the case for additional evidentiary development, including verification of all periods of Army Reserve service and obtaining complete service personnel records.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for hypertension and diabetes mellitus, which he claims are related to his service-connected PTSD. The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service, and may not be presumed to have been so incurred. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against the claim for service connection for hypertension. As the preponderance of the evidence is against the claim, the benefit-of-the-doubt doctrine is not for application.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension did not have its clinical onset in service and is not otherwise related to active duty. It was not exhibited within the first post-service year, and is not etiologically related to a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher initial rating for service-connected hypertension has been granted, with the disability rated at 20 percent. The issue of entitlement to TDIU due to service-connected disability remains pending.

The Veteran's hypertension is being reviewed for service connection, and the Board has requested a new VA examination to determine if it is related to diabetes mellitus, type II. The previous opinion was based on an inaccurate history.

The Board has determined that further assistance is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's hypertension and erectile dysfunction, including whether these conditions are related to service or any other service-connected disabilities. The case will be remanded for additional development.