Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2016

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 30 percent for service-connected loss of bone, residual of craniotomy; entitlement to service connection for onychomycosis and hypertension; and whether new and material evidence has been received in order to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for migraines.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a VA examination and medical opinion regarding the relationship between hypertension and service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's claim will be reconsidered after this additional development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for skin cancer, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, a lower back injury, a bilateral knee disability, and hypertension have been denied. The Board has dismissed the claim for skin cancer due to withdrawal by the Veteran.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional medical opinions regarding his heart disability and diabetes mellitus claims. The VA will provide the necessary examinations to determine if these conditions are related to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's hypertension and right knee condition are being remanded for additional development, including obtaining an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of his hypertension and a new examination for his right knee.

The evidence is in equipoise on whether the Veteran's hypertension is secondary to his service-connected bipolar disorder with cannabis use disorder and diabetes mellitus type II, thus service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and prostate cancer, along with erectile dysfunction, make him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment prior to May 24, 2012. His TDIU claim is granted.

The Veteran's cause of death was not related to service-connected conditions, and the criteria for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 were not met.

The Veteran's claims for hypertension, anxiety, hernia residuals, and variant Creutzfeld-Jacobs disease (mad cow disease) have been denied. The claim for hypertension has been reopened but not granted due to lack of current disability evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension have been granted.,No ratings were increased or TDIU was granted.

The Veteran's hypertension is being reviewed for possible service connection as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The current examination report may not have adequately addressed the relationship between these conditions.

The Veteran's erectile dysfunction, prostate enlargement, and bladder/urinary disorder are found to be secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II. The Board has granted service connection for these conditions.

The Board found no evidence of a left shoulder disability during service and determined that the current left shoulder disability is not related to service. The hypertension, elbow, wrist, back, radiculopathy, erectile dysfunction, and psychiatric disabilities were also denied as not related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for CAD, finding that it is at least as likely as not caused by or aggravated by a service-connected disability (hypertension).

The Board is remanding the case for additional development to obtain adequate opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hypertension and bladder disorder, including benign prostate hypertrophy.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals on all issues, indicating that the September 2016 rating decision granting him a 100% disability evaluation satisfied his appeal.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for separate compensable evaluations for residuals of diabetes mellitus (DM) as there was no factually ascertainable increase in severity within one year prior to his March 4, 2012 informal claim. The effective date for the grant of service connection and separate ratings is therefore not earlier than March 4, 2012.

The Veteran's back disability is rated at 60 percent, the maximum rating available under Diagnostic Code 5237 for intervertebral disc syndrome. The Board finds that the evidence supports this rating as it includes incapacitating episodes of intervertebral disc syndrome lasting at least six weeks during the past twelve months.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension did not have its onset during service and is not related to his service-connected gouty arthritis. The claim for service connection for a disability manifested by arthritic changes of the feet, ankles, and legs (secondary to gouty arthritis) was previously adjudicated but is addressed in the REMAND portion.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to inadequate medical opinions and missing records.