Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2016

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, finding that the Veteran's hypertension was not present in service or within one year of separation and that it is less likely related to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current hypertension is unrelated to his period of active military service, including exposure to herbicides, nor was it manifest within one year of his discharge from active service. The VA examiner opined that the hypertension is not due to service-connected coronary artery disease and there is no evidence linking it to Agent Orange exposure.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to a failure to schedule a requested hearing. The claims will be reconsidered after the hearing is conducted.

The Board has remanded the claims of reopening service connection for varicose veins, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus to the RO for further review.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and ischemic heart disease (IHD) due to herbicide exposure. The Veteran's claims for hypertension, PTSD, neuropathy, tinnitus, and secondary service-connected IHD have been granted.

The Board has granted service connection for depressive disorder and hypertension as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, and erectile dysfunction. The decision also remands the issues of service connection for pulmonary nodules.

The Board has determined that service connection for hypertension is granted, but the Veteran's compensable rating for hemorrhoids and reopening of his claim for onychomycosis are both denied. The case is remanded to obtain a VA examination related to the Veteran's skin disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for chloracne, hypertension, swelling of the legs and hands, as well as reopening a claim for basal cell carcinoma. The Board found that there was no evidence to support these claims based on herbicide exposure or service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for scheduling a videoconference hearing. The issues include initial disability ratings and service connection claims.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension as it was not incurred or aggravated by service, and is not proximately due to a service-connected disease or injury. The motion based on clear and unmistakable error in the March 2014 rating decision is dismissed without prejudice.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions and attempting to obtain treatment records. The Veteran's appeal is now pending again with the Board.

The Board found that hypertension was not manifested during service or to a compensable degree within the first year after discharge from service and is not etiologically related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, degenerative joint disease (arthritis), gout/gouty arthritis, rhinitis, and hypertension. The Veteran's claims for these conditions are supported by credible evidence of in-service acoustic trauma and post-service manifestations of the disabilities.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain another VA examination for the Veteran's hypertension, as the previous opinions were not in substantial compliance with the Board's most recent remand. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further review.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found no evidence of a current diagnosis of PTSD, and the preponderance of the evidence did not support higher ratings for diabetes mellitus or its complications. Service connection was also denied as there is no evidence of a direct relationship between the Veteran's conditions and his active duty service.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for a traumatic brain injury, right cranial nerve VI palsy, and hypertension have been granted. The diagnoses are considered direct service connections based on the evidence of record.

The Board found that the Veteran's current hypertension is not related to his service or service-connected PTSD, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's hypertension, benign prostatic hyperplasia, and dyslipidemia have been granted service connection as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II with diabetic nephropathy. The Veteran's PTSD claim has not been substantiated.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease has not been shown to meet the criteria for a higher rating, as it does not result in dyspnea, fatigue, angina, dizziness, or syncope with a workload of greater than 7 METs but not greater than 10 METs.

The Veteran was unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment due solely to the effects of his service-connected disabilities prior to October [redacted], 2015.