Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2014

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent disabling, effective from December 10, 2008. The Board has granted a higher rating for PTSD and denied service connection for hypertension and skin rash.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to schedule a Travel Board hearing at the Togus, Maine RO. The issues include increased evaluations for left wrist fracture and gastritis, service connection claims for sleep apnea, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, hypertension, migraines, and weight gain.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current diagnosis of hypertension is related to his military service, and thus grants service connection for hypertension.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for hypertension, which he claims was caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The Board has decided to remand the case for further development and opinion regarding whether hypertension was aggravated by diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and scheduling VA examinations to determine the severity of his service-connected anxiety disorder, hypertension, and right lower extremity radiculopathy. The TDIU claim is also dependent on these issues.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as the evidence did not show that his service-connected conditions had worsened since the last examination.

The Board has granted service connection for pharyngitis and enlarged tonsils due to aggravation, but denied service connection for sinusitis, sleep apnea, and vision problems secondary to hypertension.

The Board has granted a 100 percent schedular rating for diabetes mellitus and a 10 percent schedular rating for hypertension, effective from the date of the decision.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for additional development of new evidence received at the Board in September 2013.

The Board has remanded the issue of eligibility for payment of attorney fees from past-due benefits due to its inextricability with another claim, specifically the evaluation of chronic renal insufficiency with hypertension. The appeal is not about service connection.

The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence is against finding that the Veteran has an acquired psychiatric disability related to service, and thus his claims for service connection are denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left eye disability is being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinion and further development of the record.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension was not caused by or related to service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and readjudication.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss warrants a 20 percent rating. The claim for increased tinnitus was withdrawn by the Veteran prior to decision. Service connection for low back disability, headaches, knee disabilities, hypertension, and shoulder disabilities have been established based on continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on the issues of vision loss, left eye; hypertension; a left knee disability; allergic rhinitis; hearing loss and tinnitus have been withdrawn prior to the Board promulgating a decision.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on being bedridden, housebound, or in need of aid and attendance of another due to service-connected disabilities is remanded as the VA examinations did not adequately address his overall combined impairment.

The Veteran's hypertension, chronic obstructive sleep apnea, and erectile dysfunction are being remanded for further development to determine their etiology.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, hypertension secondary to PTSD, and onychomycosis have been granted. The Board found that the Veteran had a diagnosis of PTSD related to in-service stressors, and his lay statements were sufficient to establish these events. Hypertension was also diagnosed as part of the examination, but the examiner opined it is not likely caused by service or PTSD alone.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is at least as likely as not aggravated by his service-connected PTSD with anxiety and depression, thus granting service connection for hypertension.