Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2016

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for depression, lumbar spine, and right knee. The issues of service connection for a left knee disorder, right hip disorder, obstructive sleep apnea, and hypertension were also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's skin disorder and hypertension are not service connected, as there is no evidence of a chronic condition in service or continuity since service. The Veteran's current conditions are found to be unrelated to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to address the claims of bilateral cataracts and hypertension.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension did not manifest during service or within one year of separation, and there is no evidence of continuous symptoms since service. Therefore, service connection for hypertension was denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current hypertension likely began during his military service and is granting service connection for this condition.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a service-connected disability to which his hypertension and/or heart conditions may be related, and the evidence is against a finding of a causal relationship between these disabilities and active service or herbicide exposure.

The evidence does not establish a direct link between the Veteran's military service and his current diagnosis of hypertension. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence is against the claim.

The Veteran does not meet the criteria for special monthly pension based on need for regular aid and attendance or being housebound due to her disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and awarded a 30 percent rating for rectal fissure, status post fissurectomy. The hypertension is considered to have been incurred during service, while the rectal fissure is characterized by occasional leakage requiring the use of an absorbent pad.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is secondary to his service-connected cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus type 2, and therefore grants service connection for hypertension.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension with a 10 percent disability rating and an effective date of February 6, 2009. The Veteran's claim for earlier effective dates is addressed in the remand portion.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and arthritis of the hands and back, as these conditions are not related to his military service or exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction and onychomycosis, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, and hypertension. The claims are therefore denied.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain an addendum opinion from the VA examiner regarding whether the Veteran's hypertension is aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus and hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than April 2, 2014, for the 100 percent evaluation for chronic nephritis with hypertension, anemia, and edema was denied as his earliest possible basis for assigning an effective date is his April 2014 claim.

The Veteran's hypertension did not manifest during his active duty service, was not shown to be related to any in-service disease or injury, and is not presumed due to herbicide exposure. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence does not support a finding of service connection for hypertension.

The Board finds that the Veteran's hypertension is not related to his military service and denies the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's hypertension is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess its current severity and whether his reported symptoms are related to the condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension and hypothyroidism are not related to his military service, with no presumption of herbicide exposure for hypothyroidism.

The Veteran's hypertension was not incurred or aggravated by service. The Board found that the pre-existing condition did not increase in severity during his active duty service.