Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2014

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for back disorder, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, peripheral neuropathy of bilateral hands and feet, and cardiovascular disease. The evidence did not establish a nexus between these conditions and service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining missing service treatment records and personnel records.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development to verify his exposure to Agent Orange during service aboard the USS Shelton and to obtain all relevant medical records.

The Veteran's hypertension and vision disorders are not found to be caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus.,Both the VA examiner and the supplemental DBQ opinion concluded that the Veteran's hypertension was less likely than not caused by or related to his diabetes, and that any vision problems were not caused by or related to his diabetes.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, as well as his claims for higher initial evaluations for DJD of the lumbar spine, diverticulitis with hypertrophic haustral and a scattered left sigmoid colon, and GERD with hiatal hernia and gastritis. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence did not support service connection due to the presumption of soundness at the time of his second period of active duty.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a skin disorder, including lipoma and rash. The VA examinations did not establish any link between his service and these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a videoconference hearing due to the lack of notice regarding an earlier scheduled hearing. The claims for service connection are pending.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for dizziness was previously denied in October 1995. New and material evidence has not been received to reopen this claim.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for tinnitus was reopened based on new evidence showing continuity of symptoms since service.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and sleep apnea were denied. The claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was also denied.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn for the claims of service connection for left hip pain, hypertension, ischemic stroke with facial weakness and slight pronator drift (claimed as stroke), bipolar disorder with depression, and alcohol and drug dependency.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including an opinion on whether the Veteran's hypertension is caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to an initial compensable rating for his aortic aneurysm and hypertension is being remanded due to the need for additional development. The Veteran contends that his service-connected disability prevents him from performing heavy lifting, which he claims restricts his activities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a skin disability of the back and hypertension, finding that new evidence did not establish a nexus to service or herbicide exposure. The claim for a skin disability was denied as there is no competent medical evidence linking it to service. For hypertension, the Board found that the first indication of hypertension occurred decades after service and thus could not be presumed related to service.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination to address whether the Veteran's hypertension is causally linked to his presumed exposure to herbicide agents in service. The claim will be readjudicated after this development.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and requesting a medical opinion regarding whether service-connected conditions contributed to the Veteran's death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is not causally or etiologically related to his period of active service. The Veteran's symptoms did not manifest within one year of separation from service and have not been continuous since service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension and respiratory disability due to inadequate or incomplete examination, as well as other issues related to service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension was not caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, and thus denied the claim for secondary service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for an addendum opinion to determine if the Veteran's hypertension was aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has remanded the cause-of-death claim due to incomplete records and need for further development, including obtaining medical records from Wilford Hall and providing an opinion on the cause of death.