Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2015

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to address the nature and etiology of his hypertension disability and the severity of his service-connected postsurgical scar of the left knee.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that it is at least in equipoise with the evidence and therefore aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for hypertension. The Veteran's testimony at his hearings, along with his statements regarding in-service use of potassium bromide, suggests a possible link between his hypertension and service.

The Veteran's hypertension is found to be related to his presumed in-service exposure to Agent Orange, and service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his active service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's hypertension and sleep apnea were found to be incurred in service, with the Board granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, finding that it is not related to herbicide exposure in Vietnam or secondary to PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and an eye disability have been denied as there is no evidence of these conditions during or within one year after his service. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that any of these conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, effective July 24, 2006. The Board has also granted a TDIU for the period from February 18, 2012 to January 2013.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for hypertension due to insufficient rationale in the May 2012 VA examination report and the need to determine his duty status in 1998. The Veteran is also required to provide information about any healthcare providers who have treated him for hypertension since March 2010.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's cause of death was related to his military service, specifically hypertension or ischemic heart disease.

The Board has determined that the appellant does not have current disabilities of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, vision loss, neuropathy, or a mood disorder. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's recurrent cardiovascular disorder, including CAD, CABG residuals, and CHF, is service connected due to aggravation by his service-connected PTSD. The Board also finds that there is at least a reasonable doubt as to whether the Veteran's recurrent pulmonary disorder (pulmonary hypertension and COPD) was aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for a right ankle disability and finds that the Veteran's current right ankle disorder is related to his in-service injury. The claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, IBS, GERD, prostatitis, hypertension, degenerative arthritis of right acromioclavicular joints, and triceps muscle injury are addressed on remand.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional unit records from his service in Korea, as the current evidence does not confirm exposure near the DMZ where Agent Orange was used.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not cause or materially contribute to his death. The VA medical opinion concluded that hypertension, which was first diagnosed several years after separation from service and treated with medication, was more likely due to established risk factors rather than military service or service-connected PTSD.

The Board has granted service connection for right shoulder impingement syndrome and hypertension, both rated at 10 percent since December 1, 2009.

The Veteran seeks service connection for hypertension and a heart disorder, to include a heart murmur. The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA examination opinions regarding the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple issues related to his service-connected type II diabetes mellitus, including skin conditions, neuropathy, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and a dental condition. The case is being remanded for further action.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate VA opinions and other procedural issues. The Veteran's conditions include PTSD, depressive disorder, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, neuropathy of upper extremities, and neuropathy of lower extremities.