Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2015

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is not attributable to his active military service, including any treatment received for tuberculosis (TB). The claim for service connection for hypertension is denied.

The Veteran's hypertension, which requires medication and is manifested by systolic blood pressure readings at or near 160 or more, has been granted an initial 10 percent rating.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for hypertension and granted it, finding that new evidence supports a direct service incurrence of the condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for service connection and for increased ratings, as well as her TDIU claim. The Veteran was not provided adequate notice regarding her hysterectomy claim in February 2002, which is a requirement under Kent v. Nicholson.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to incomplete records and need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's claim for service connection is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and allowing the Veteran an opportunity to substantiate his claimed exposure in Vietnam.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension, PTSD, and obstructive sleep apnea were not incurred or aggravated during service. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding service connection on a secondary basis due to PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current hypertension was incurred during his military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service connection claim for hypertension is denied as the evidence does not support a link between his current condition and his military service, including presumed herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's hypertension, which is currently rated at 10 percent under Diagnostic Code 7101, has not been shown to warrant a higher rating as his blood pressure readings have consistently remained below the threshold for a 20 percent evaluation.

The Veteran's service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD) as due to herbicide exposure is granted, resolving reasonable doubt in his favor. The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether he set foot in Vietnam during service and thus establishes presumptive service connection.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses for an emergency room visit at Baptist Medical Center South, Jacksonville, Florida on June 4, 2012 are covered as the treatment was necessary due to a medical emergency and VA facilities were not feasibly available.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred at a private facility for treatment of his service-connected conditions were approved due to the emergent nature of his condition and the unavailability of care at VA facilities.

The Veteran's service-connected tension headaches are rated at 30 percent, effective from June 22, 2005. The rating for his degenerative and discogenic disease of the cervical spine remains at 20 percent. For his chronic left trapezius strain, a higher rating is granted starting from August 5, 2011, while for his chronic right trapezius strain, a higher rating is also granted starting from that date.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to fully and fairly consider the Veteran's claims, including obtaining relevant medical records and completing examinations for his knee and heart disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. For the right knee, a higher rating was not granted as his condition did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation under the applicable rating schedule. For hypertension, an initial compensable rating was also denied due to lack of evidence showing diastolic blood pressure readings of predominantly 100 or more or systolic blood pressure 160 or more. The Veteran's claim for service connection for loss of auricle was not granted as there is no current diagnosis of this condition.

The Board found that the Veteran's cause of death (myocardial scars and recent ischemic changes, severe stenotic atherosclerosis, hypertension, and cardiomyopathy) did not stem from any service-connected disability. The VA examiner concluded that these conditions were not related to service.

The Veteran's type II diabetes mellitus is presumed to be due to herbicide exposure during service. The Board also finds that his hypertension is secondary to his service-connected type II diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and chronic renal failure are being remanded due to the need to obtain private medical records from his doctors and VA treatment records. The issues of entitlement to service connection for both conditions remain inextricably intertwined with each other.