Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2015

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have hypertension or coronary artery disease with left ventricular hypertrophy that is attributable to his military service.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of hypertension and thus, service connection for this condition is denied. Service connection for gout has also been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional service treatment records and VA treatment records, as well as to schedule the Veteran for a VA audiology and psychiatric examination. The claims will be re-adjudicated after these actions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension and diabetes mellitus are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease. The low back disability is denied due to lack of medical nexus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions are not related to service and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's myocardial infarction, finding that it was at least partially attributable to his service-connected hypertension.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need to obtain additional records from SSA and arrange further development.

The Board denied service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Hypertension, as these conditions did not have their onset during active military service or within a year of discharge. The Veteran's OSA and hypertension were also not found to be permanently worsened by his service-connected left foot disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and erectile dysfunction, render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board grants a TDIU based on these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased rating for diabetes mellitus type II, service connection for periodontal disease and hypertension are addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for diabetes mellitus, type II, with erectile dysfunction and renal insufficiency with hypertension have been denied as the evidence does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable rating schedule.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for residuals of a stroke and hypertension are being remanded due to inadequate medical opinions. The VA will obtain new opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant through his/her authorized representative.

The Veteran's tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and hypertension are all found to be related to service. The Board has granted the claims for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to insufficient clarification of the symptomatology of his sleep apnea prior and after aggravation by his deviated nasal septum, as well as a request for outpatient treatment records from Brooke Army Medical Center dating back to 1984.

The Veteran does not have hypertension or a heart disorder other than rheumatic valvular heart disease that is related to military service.

The Veteran's hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and may not be presumed to have been incurred therein. The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity and left lower extremity were evaluated based on their current severity, with no additional evaluations granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate compliance with previous remand instructions and failure to consider all possible theories of entitlement. The Veteran's hypertension is presumed due to in-service herbicide exposure, but a medical opinion is needed to determine if this exposure caused his current condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a cervical spine examination. The claims of service connection for hypertension, rating reduction of low back disability, and TDIU are also pending.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied across the board. The Board found no evidence of a current disability in most cases and insufficient medical nexus to support the Veteran's assertions.