Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2014

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is not service-connected, as there is no direct evidence linking it to his military service.,Regarding peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, the appeal is pending and will be addressed further.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's major depressive disorder, hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, glaucoma, left ear hearing loss, and myocardial infarction and stroke are all service-connected based on direct evidence of their onset during active duty.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including additional VA examinations and a Social and Industrial Survey to determine whether the Veteran is unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including verification of his periods of Active Duty Training (ADT) and Inactive Duty Training (IDT), confirmation of the date of his heart attack, and a medical opinion regarding whether his coronary artery disease began during ADT service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disability, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, bilateral ulnar nerve compression, and hypertension. The Board finds these conditions are related to active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection for a bilateral knee disability, bilateral hearing loss disability, or hypertension.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for all issues currently on appeal, including the reopening of service connection for hypertension and various disability evaluations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations, treatment records review, and consideration of his claims.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a comprehensive examination by a pulmonologist to determine the current nature of her pulmonary embolism condition and whether she has pulmonary hypertension. The Veteran may wish to withdraw her claim for TDIU in consultation with her representative.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions, including hypertension, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), diabetes mellitus, type 2, heart disease, and depression, were not incurred or aggravated during service. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, finding that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's current diagnosis of hypertension is related to an incident of service.

The Veteran's hypertension and peripheral neuropathy are being remanded for additional development to determine if they are related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II, or if they were caused by Agent Orange exposure.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology of his claimed conditions and their relationship to service.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a heart disability and granted it, finding that new and material evidence was received. The Veteran's heart disabilities are presumed to be due to exposure to ionizing radiation during his service in Japan.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension was reopened and granted. The Veteran is now rated at 60 percent for eczema, which covers more than 40% of the entire body. He also received a compensable rating for hemorrhoids due to their large size and frequent recurrence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found no evidence of a current diagnosis or in-service occurrence that would support the claims.

The Veteran's service-connected hypertension is not manifested by diastolic pressure predominantly 100 or more; systolic pressure predominantly 160 or more, or a history of diastolic pressure predominantly 100 or more requiring continuous medication for control. Therefore, the claim for a compensable rating for hypertension is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran experienced elevated blood pressure during service, which is considered a current disability. The continuity of symptomatology and the lack of treatment for hypertension in service have led to the conclusion that it had its onset during service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for hypertension is granted.

The Veteran's hypertension, varicose veins in each leg prior to February 25, 2011, and erectile dysfunction have been evaluated based on their current manifestations. The Veteran does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction as they are not related to service. The Veteran's CAD was rated at 30% but the Board found indications of an exceptional disability picture and referred the case on an extraschedular basis.