Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2014

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension did not manifest during service or within one year of discharge, and there is no evidence linking it to his military service. The claim for service connection for hypertension is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and arranging for a new VA examination. The issues of entitlement to an initial compensable evaluation for an abdominal aortic aneurysm and entitlement to an increased disability evaluation for hypertension are pending.

The Veteran's hypertension is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA and Tricare medical records from the period of his service. The examiner will assess whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's hypertension is related to his military service or service-connected sinusitis.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service connection claims for diabetes mellitus, renal hypertension with nephropathy, bilateral lower extremity peripheral artery disease, and coronary artery disease were granted as presumptive conditions due to herbicide exposure. The effective date of November 21, 2007 is established.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to the Veteran's receipt of Social Security Administration (SSA) disability benefits and outstanding medical records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not have service in Vietnam and therefore cannot be presumed to have been exposed to herbicides. As a result, the claims for diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease (CAD), hypertension, colon cancer, asthma, sleep related alveolar hyperventilation, and hyperlipidemia are denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected hypertensive cardiovascular disease and essential hypertension.

The Board granted service connection for Crohn's disease and found that the Veteran's exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune was related to his current condition. The other conditions were not shown to be directly related to service or due to exposure to contaminated water.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to schedule a hearing at the RO. The claims for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for bilateral pes planus, an initial compensable evaluation for hypertension, and whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen a claim of service connection for a left shoulder disorder are pending.

The Veteran's diabetes, erectile dysfunction, and hypertension with diabetic nephropathy are all rated at the minimum levels allowed by the applicable rating criteria. The Board finds that none of these conditions warrant a higher disability rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and TDIU due to his service-connected anxiety and depression, finding that there was no evidence of a direct relationship between his current condition and military service.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and consideration of his service connection claims.

The Veteran's hypertension and allergic rhinitis are rated as noncompensable, with the hypertension receiving a 10% rating based on history of diastolic blood pressure of 100 or more requiring continuous medication. The Veteran's allergic rhinitis does not meet the criteria for any compensable evaluation.

The Veteran's service-connected hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea have not been found to warrant higher initial ratings during the appeal period.

The Board has determined that a VA medical examination is necessary to determine if the Veteran's hypertension is secondary to his service-connected type II diabetes mellitus and/or COPD. The case will be remanded for this purpose.

The Board has denied the reopening of claims for service connection for hypertension and lumbosacral spine degenerative arthritis as new and material evidence was not submitted.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension is not related to service or a service-connected disability, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated VA medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the current severity of service-connected type 2 diabetes mellitus. The AOJ must also return the January 2014 hypertension examination for an addendum regarding whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's hypertension is aggravated by service-connected diabetes.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and an increased evaluation for bilateral hearing loss. The issues of service connection for hypertension were remanded by the Court, but the VA examiner found no aggravation beyond natural progression.