Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2015

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. The claims are granted.,Service connection is established for hypertension as a result of presumed exposure to herbicides in Vietnam, and for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss due to direct service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension, erectile dysfunction (ED), flatfeet, and COPD did not manifest in service or otherwise relate to service. As such, these claims for service connection are denied.

The Veteran's appeal was denied, with hypertension rated as noncompensable and other issues remaining in controversy.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for scheduling a Board video-conference hearing.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's hypertension is related to service or secondary to his right knee disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to non-compliance with previous directives and to ensure all appropriate development has been accomplished. The Veteran's claims for service connection for coronary artery disease, hypertension, polycythemia vera, and erythrocytosis are also being addressed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is not related to his military service or his service-connected hepatitis C, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to address the claims of service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, and hypertension. The Veteran has not been provided with a VA examination or opinion regarding these issues.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for hypertension, which he claims is related to his service-connected back pain and mental disorders. The VA has not addressed this secondary service connection theory in the current decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension, respiratory condition, left knee disability, right shoulder disability, and right knee disability. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for hypertension. The Veteran's testimony at his August 2011 hearing, along with other newly submitted evidence, raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as secondary to service-connected PTSD. The effective date for the grant of service connection for CAD remains April 16, 2001. The Veteran's claim for a higher initial schedular rating for CAD prior to November 9, 2001 is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of hypertension related to his military service or caused by any service-connected disability.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II is currently rated at 20 percent, effective March 11, 2011. The claims for hypertension and anxiety/depressive disorder were denied as new and material evidence was not submitted to reopen these claims. Service connection for bilateral knee disorders, hearing loss, tinnitus, hip disorder, ankle disorders, and lumbar spine disorder are all denied.

The Board has determined that further development is needed before the claim for service connection for sleep apnea can be decided. The Veteran's claims are being remanded to allow for a more thorough examination and opinion regarding her sleep apnea.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his PTSD and determine if his hypertension is related to service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, and right knee condition have all been denied. The Board finds no evidence of a current disability or in-service incurrence or aggravation.

The Veteran's disability ratings for diabetes mellitus and hypertension were reduced, with the reduction in the rating for diabetes mellitus being proper due to improvement in his condition. The Veteran was not entitled to a higher rating as his conditions did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for herpes, optic nerve damage, hepatitis A, B, C, gallstones, bronchitis, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, diabetes mellitus, HIV/AIDS, peripheral neuropathy and hypertension have not been met. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for any of these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and is not presumed to have been so incurred. The examiner concluded that the condition did not pre-exist his period of Active Duty for Training (ACDUTRA) and did not worsen during this time.