Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2014

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral radiculopathy was dismissed as the condition had already been granted. The claim for tinnitus is granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of a right wrist disability, left knee disorder, and right knee disorder. The claim for hypertension was not addressed as it is not related to service.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected condition, as there was no evidence of any service-connected disability at the time of his death. The cause of death listed on his death certificate was COPD, which developed many years after service and was not related to any service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are at least as likely as not of such severity as to prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment, thus meeting the criteria for TDIU.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for hypertension, arthritis of both wrists and shoulders, gout, and a rating in excess of 20 percent for DJD of both knees. The issue of TDIU due to service-connected disabilities is also being remanded.

The Veteran's hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service, and may not be presumed to have been incurred in service. The Veteran's currently diagnosed hypertension is not shown to be related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.,Since the initial grant of service connection, the Veteran's coronary artery disease has been manifested by a left ventricular ejection fraction ranging from 45 to 50 percent; and there has been no showing of chronic congestive heart failure or a workload of 3 metabolic equivalents (METs) resulting in dyspnea, fatigue, angina, or syncope. The Veteran's coronary artery disease is currently evaluated at 60%.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's hypertension is proximately due to his service-connected PTSD, and thus grants service connection for hypertension.

The Veteran's hypertension is service-connected and rated at 10 percent. The left leg disability is currently rated as 10 percent disabling, with no higher rating warranted due to the absence of instability or other significant functional loss. The right knee disability is also rated at 10 percent.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a gout disorder and a headache disorder, to include as secondary to his service-connected musculoskeletal and hypertension disorders were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not establish a link between the Veteran's current conditions and service.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection of hypertension and granted it, finding that new evidence supports a link between the Veteran's current condition and his military service.

The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities is aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus.,The Veteran's hypertension is aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the issues of service connection for sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and headaches. Specifically, VA treatment records need to be obtained and a VA examination should be conducted.

The Veteran's hypertension, a right knee scar, and a pulmonary disability (including as due to exposure to asbestos) are all found to be service-connected. The Veteran is granted an initial noncompensable rating for his right knee scar since April 27, 2010.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination reports and a need for an opinion on whether service-connected lumbar spine disabilities aggravate any heart disorders. The Veteran is scheduled for a Travel Board hearing at the local RO in Reno, Nevada.

The Board has determined that there is no current evidence of a chronic disability manifested by tingling and numbness in the fingers or legs, which would support service connection. The Veteran's claims for these conditions are therefore denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hair loss disorder, kidney disease, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, eye disorder, and headache disorder are all denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service or presumed herbicide exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension as secondary to diabetes mellitus, but denied the claim for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA examination opinions regarding the etiology of his cerebrovascular accident and hypertension. The temporary total rating issue will be deferred until further notice.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the issues of hypertension, jaw condition, and a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus type II.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates, increased evaluations, and service connection were denied. The heart disability was granted an effective date of April 27, 2009, but the hearing loss and psychiatric disorder did not warrant compensable ratings. Service connection for hypertension and erectile dysfunction was also denied.