Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2014

The Veteran's hypertension warrants a noncompensable rating prior to December 19, 2011, and a 10 percent rating thereafter.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for any of the claimed conditions.

The Veteran's appeal of the denial of service connection for bilateral shoulder pain, back pain, obstructive sleep apnea, and hypertension was held to be timely filed. The Board found that the Veteran had reasonable excuses for filing his appeal after the 60-day deadline.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is related to her active service and has granted her claim for service connection.

The Veteran's cause of death was a cerebrovascular event, which the VA examiner opined is not likely caused by his service-connected disabilities. The Board therefore denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to inadequate opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's hypertension and his service-connected right knee disability.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including verification of service periods and obtaining treatment records. The Veteran's claims for service connection for a cardiac disability and hypertension are pending.

The Veteran does not have a heart disability or hypertension that is related to his service, including due to exposure to Agent Orange. Service connection for these conditions cannot be granted as they are not listed among the presumptive diseases associated with Agent Orange exposure.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including leukemic mononucleosis, lymphoma, deep white matter deviation to include memory loss, headaches other than sinusitis with headaches, bilateral hearing loss disability, bilateral inner ear nerve damage to include vertigo and loss of balance, right-sided tongue paralysis, right-sided vocal cord paralysis, residuals of strep throat with heart murmur, right-sided neck gland swelling with difficulty swallowing and a near-esophageal knot, right shoulder rotator cuff disability, bilateral hand nerve damage, brittle fingernails, heart palpitations, hypertension, bilateral leg disorder to include weakness, edema, vascular deterioration, and varicose veins, bilateral knee disorder to include cartilage deterioration, bone grinding, and fatigue, bilateral ankle disorder to include edema, bilateral foot nerve damage to include the balls of the feet and the toes, brittle toenails, residuals of pneumonia, and dry skin. The claims were denied as not being related to service or any other basis.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for hypertension, which he claims is related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The Board has determined that additional development is needed as the current VA examination report does not contain sufficient detail.

The Veteran's appeal includes multiple issues related to his service-connected conditions and seeks additional ratings, as well as service connection for various disabilities. The case is being remanded due to the need for a Travel Board hearing.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have hypertension or ischemic heart disease due to his military service, and therefore, he is not entitled to service connection for these conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for DM type II, a heart disability, and throat cancer. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service or any other etiological factor.

Service connection is denied for tinnitus, hypertension, and peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity and bilateral lower extremities. The Veteran's right knee meniscal tear is currently rated 10 percent due to pain, flexion limited to no less than 105 degrees and extension to zero degrees.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including adjudicating the Veteran's application to reopen a claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus and readjudicating the appeal.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development and a need for an examination regarding the Veteran's service connection claim for hypertension.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his failure to appear for a scheduled hearing. The case will be returned to the RO for further action.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals regarding the claims of service connection for hypertension and a rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD. The Board dismisses these matters.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and scheduling VA examinations to determine the severity of his PTSD and etiology of his hypertension.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for VA examinations and updated medical records.