Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2015

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing an addendum opinion on the etiology of the Veteran's hypertension.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient reasons for finding that the VA expert opinion was adequate. The Veteran's hypertension is presumed to be related to his service in Vietnam, and a medical opinion is needed to determine if it is at least as likely as not caused by Agent Orange exposure.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and arthritis, finding no evidence of a nexus to military service or herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's hypertension is rated at 10 percent, his left knee osteoarthritis at 10 percent, and his MDD from December 6, 2007 to November 15, 2011 at 50 percent. Beginning November 16, 2011, the Veteran's MDD is rated at 100 percent.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to schedule a Travel Board hearing for all issues on appeal, including those that were not perfected in August 2012.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to the Veteran's request for a videoconference hearing.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and tinnitus on a presumptive basis, as they were manifest within one year of separation from service. Service connection is denied for migraine headaches, chronic fatigue syndrome, and vertigo due to lack of current disability.

The Veteran withdrew his claims for increased ratings for hypertension and left ear hearing loss, resulting in the dismissal of these claims.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling examinations to address his psychiatric disability and hypertension.

The Board has ordered a remand due to the need for issuance of a Statement of the Case (SOC) regarding all service connection claims.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to incomplete compliance with the Board's previous remand directives. The case will be returned for further examination and consideration of his claims.

The Veteran's bilateral knee condition is not service connected as it was not incurred or aggravated during active duty, ACDUTRA, or INACDUTRA. The claims for hearing loss disability and tinnitus are remanded due to insufficient evidence on record.

The Veteran's cardiomegaly is found to be caused by his service-connected hypertension, and the appeal for hypertriglyceridemia has been withdrawn. The claim for cor pulmonale remains pending.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and bladder disorder due to exposure to Agent Orange. The Veteran is required to undergo medical examinations to determine if his conditions are related to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of hypertension, sleep apnea, and a neck disability. The claim for hearing loss was also denied as it did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating. The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 50 percent from November 21, 2003, but his TDIU claim remains pending.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain a medical opinion regarding the relationship between his hypertension and PTSD, as well as any possible herbicide exposure. Additionally, clarification of the Veteran's intent with respect to his October 2010 statement for an earlier effective date for service connection for PTSD is needed.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was granted effective May 1, 1997 due to the combined rating of his service-connected disabilities meeting the minimum criteria for entitlement to benefits. The DEA claim was granted effective May 5, 1994, when he first demonstrated a permanent and total disability.,The Veteran's unemployability is based on his service-connected lumbar, cervical, thoracic spine, bilateral joint degenerative arthritis, right elbow contracture with ulnar nerve compression symptoms, and multiple joint chondromalacia. The VA examinations and private rehabilitation counselors' statements support the conclusion that he cannot secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to these disabilities.

The Veteran's hypertension did not have onset during active service, did not manifest to a compensable degree within one year of discharge from active service, and is not otherwise etiologically related to active service, including as proximately due to or aggravated by service-connected coronary artery disease or diabetes mellitus type II.

The Veteran's hypertension and coronary artery disease were not found to meet the criteria for higher ratings during the period from August 1, 2009, to January 17, 2012.

The Veteran has withdrawn all his appeals, and there are no allegations of errors of fact or law for appellate consideration.