Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2014

The Board has found that hypertension is related to military service and grants the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not serve during a period of war, and therefore does not meet the threshold criteria for basic eligibility for non-service-connected pension benefits. The claim is denied.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, and related complications require further examination to determine the appropriate disability rating. The issue of TDIU is also remanded for additional development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current cardiovascular disorder, including hypertension, is related to his active duty service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension but remanded it for further development. The VA examiner concluded that hypertension is less likely caused by or aggravated by military service, including PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining medical opinions on the relationship between his service-connected acne vulgaris and hypertension.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his failure to report for a scheduled video conference hearing. The case will be processed again with the opportunity for a new hearing.

Service connection for gout and hypertension has been granted.,Service connection for elevated cholesterol is not warranted.

The Board has determined that additional examinations and development are necessary to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, as secondary to PTSD, was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of chronicity within one year after discharge and that there was no competent evidence linking his current condition to service or service-connected PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's skin condition of the feet, high blood pressure, and psychiatric disability (depression) are all related to his military service.

The Veteran's hypertension is being remanded for further development, including obtaining medical records and providing an opinion on whether the condition is related to service or secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus and/or anxiety reaction.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is not service-connected as it was not shown to be related to his active service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development to determine the etiology of his hypertension and psychiatric disabilities, including PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 10 percent prior to November 9, 2011. The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise and grants a 30 percent rating for PTSD prior to this date.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including coronary artery disease, hypertension, pancreatitis, dementia, anxiety disorder, and depressive disorder, all secondary to diabetes mellitus. The decision did not address any exposure basis or grant a disability rating.

The Board found that there was no evidence of chronic symptoms of hypertension during service, and the Veteran's post-service hypertension did not manifest to a compensable degree within one year after separation from service. The claim for service connection for hypertension is therefore denied.

The Board found no current diagnosis of residuals of a thromboembolism and denied the Veteran's claim for service connection. The hypertension issue was not addressed due to insufficient information.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension pre-existed service and did not permanently increase during his period of service. The only opinion to address whether the high blood pressure was aggravated during service weighed against the claim, finding no evidence of worsening beyond natural progression.