Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2016

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's heart disease disability and assigned a 100 percent rating effective May 7, 2013. The remaining issues on appeal are remanded.

The Board finds that the appellant's ocular hypertension, diagnosed within one year of his discharge from service and continuing to this day, is related to his military service. The claim for service connection for an eye disability is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea, heart disorder, diabetes mellitus, type II, and hypertension are not related to his military service or secondary to his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's hypertension was not diagnosed during active service and is not related to his military service. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of service connection for hypertension.

The Board finds that the Veteran's currently diagnosed hypertension did not begin in service or within one year of his discharge, and there is no competent evidence linking it to his military service. Therefore, service connection for hypertension cannot be established.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and heart disease, finding that there is no evidence of these conditions during or immediately after service. The Board also found insufficient medical evidence to connect current diagnoses to service.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals on all issues due to finality of previous decisions.

The Veteran's appeal of the headache disorder claim has been dismissed as it was granted in a May 2016 rating decision. The PTSD and hypertension claims are remanded for issuance of a Statement of the Case.

The Veteran's right ankle disability, anxiety disorder, and low back disability are all related to his service-connected right ankle condition. The skin condition is linked to his anxiety disorder.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee osteoarthritis and remanded the hypertension claim.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, and severe joint pain have been withdrawn. The appeal for a rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD and TDIU prior to February 10, 2016 is being deferred until further development on the PTSD issue.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there was no evidence of in-service events or conditions that could be linked to his current disabilities. His hearing loss is not compensable, and he does not have a diagnosed psychiatric disorder, degenerative joint disease, radiculopathy, or peripheral neuropathy.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death in March 2007, finding no evidence linking his death to military service. The appellant submitted new evidence but it did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating her claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is not attributable to service, was not caused or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD, and was not manifest within one year of separation from service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, and a bilateral foot disorder.

The Board has determined that further development of the evidence is needed before a decision can be made on the issues of service connection for brain tumor and hypertension, as well as an increased rating for coronary artery disease. The Veteran's death certificate indicates he died in February 2014.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, finding that the evidence did not show a link between the Veteran's current diagnosis and his military service or any service-connected conditions. The claim for an increased rating for allergic rhinitis was also denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension was not caused or aggravated by his service-connected lumbar spine strain, including due to medication use and lack of exercise.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, skin disability, and gastrointestinal disability. The evidence did not establish a direct link between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a service connection for hypertension, COPD, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities due to herbicide exposure or any other service-connected disability. The preponderance of evidence is against these claims.