Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2014

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection in several areas, including sensitive feet, bilateral knee disability, right leg disability, back disability, weight gain, sleep disorder, hypertension, and psychiatric disorder. The decisions were based on lack of direct causal nexus to military service or secondary service connection due to a pre-existing condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension and diabetes mellitus were not incurred in or aggravated by service, nor may they be presumed to have been incurred therein. The disabilities are less likely than not related to his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's diagnosed hypertension is not related to his military service and is not due to or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted, and the issues of initial ratings for various service-connected conditions are dismissed due to withdrawal requests.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, secondary to diabetes mellitus, has been reopened and is granted. Service connection for a disability manifested by voiding dysfunction, also secondary to diabetes mellitus, is denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension was not manifested during his active military service and is not shown to be causally or etiologically related to his active military service. The VA examiner determined that the Veteran's current hypertension was less likely than not caused by or the result of his active military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for kidney disease was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability, in-service incurrence or aggravation of a disease or injury; and a causal relationship between the present disability and the disease or injury incurred or aggravated during service. The Board also found that the preponderance of the evidence is against the claim for service connection for hypertension.

The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for hypertension, as there is no chronicity in service or within the presumptive period post-service. The Veteran's statements regarding continuity of symptomatology are not competent evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his exposure to herbicides while stationed in Korea.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, and defective hearing of the right ear. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to service or a service-connected disability.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for tinnitus, degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, hypertension, a respiratory disability including lung nodules, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and asthma, kidney cysts, and skin cancer due to incomplete records and procedural issues.

The Veteran's left foot pes planus was found to have its origin in service, and he is now entitled to service connection.,There is no current hearing loss disability meeting VA criteria, so service connection cannot be established.,No current right knee disability has been demonstrated, thus service connection for a right knee disability cannot be granted.,The Veteran's lumbar spine strain is currently evaluated at 20 percent based on limitation of motion to flexion less than 60 degrees but not less than 40 degrees.,Hypertension is currently rated as noncompensable, with diastolic pressures below 100 and systolic pressures below 160.,Cluster headaches are currently evaluated at noncompensable, occurring less frequently than once every two months.

The Veteran's hypertension is currently rated at a noncompensable level. The Board has determined that the evidence supports an initial compensable rating of 10 percent based on the need for medication to control his blood pressure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's pulmonary hypertension disorder is not caused or aggravated by his service or any of his service-connected disabilities, and therefore denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on the above issues have been withdrawn. The Board has no further jurisdiction in these matters.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied, and his effective dates for the granted conditions are not earlier than April 13, 2004.

The Veteran's claim for increased evaluations for hypertension and thoracolumbar paraspinal tendinitis with degenerative disc disease, status post L5-S1 fusion was denied. The evidence did not show diastolic pressure predominantly 110 or more at any time during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's atrial fibrillation is proximately due to his service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder. The issues of hypertension and cervical spine/shoulder disabilities are remanded for further development.

The Board found that hypertension and diabetes mellitus were not incurred or aggravated by service, nor are they related to a service-connected disability. The Veteran's obesity is considered a non-service-related factor.