Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2014

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus has been rated at 20 percent since July 19, 2006. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating and granted service connection for hypertension, back disorder, and neck disorder.

The Board found no evidence of in-country service or exposure to herbicides, and thus could not grant service connection for any conditions on that basis. The Veteran's current diagnoses were not shown to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for hypertension, depression, migraine headaches, and ilioinguinal neuritis were denied. The claim for hypertension was reopened but not granted. The initial rating for depression prior to April 28, 2009, and the ratings for migraine headaches and ilioinguinal neuritis remain denied.

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

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining ships logs and his complete military personnel file.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and a chronic heart disorder are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and development of records.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and residuals of laceration of the 5th digit, right hand as there was no evidence showing a chronic disability during active service or continuity of symptomatology after service.

The Veteran's kidney disorder and sleep apnea are service-connected, but the Board has found no current disability associated with a sleep disorder other than OSA that is not related to his service-connected PTSD. The claim for an initial compensable rating for hypertension was granted.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and clarifying the appellant's last known address. The VA spine examiner will be asked to distinguish between symptoms caused by service-connected injuries and those caused by post-service work-related injuries.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted, and he was assigned a disability rating of 10 percent for his cervical spine disability. His claim for an increased disability rating for prostatitis prior to July 1, 2013, and greater than 40 percent from that date, was also granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and hypertension, as well as his TDIU claim, have been granted. The temporary total evaluation for colon surgery was denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further examination and opinion regarding his service connection claims, specifically the depressive disorder claim. The prostate cancer rating issue remains pending.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable initial rating for hypertension is being remanded due to the need for another VA examination to assess the severity of his condition.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 20 percent since January 28, 2013. His hypertension claim was denied as not related to service or secondary to PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current diagnosis of aortic stenosis is etiologically related to his service-connected hypertension, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to inadequate medical opinion and missing VA treatment records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions regarding his claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating have been denied. The Board found that new evidence was received to reopen the claim of left leg peripheral neuropathy, but did not find a relationship between his current condition and service-connected diabetes mellitus or hypertension.

The Veteran's death was caused by acute pulmonary edema, chronic ischemic heart disease, high blood pressure, and COPD. The appeal is remanded to obtain a medical opinion on the cause of death and to address the issue of burial benefits.