Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2016

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between his service-connected back condition and his hypertension and coronary artery disease.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is caused by or in part due to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II. As such, the claim for service connection for hypertension is granted.

The Veteran's migraine headaches are rated at 30 percent prior to March 29, 2011 and at 50 percent thereafter. His hypertension is not compensable.

The Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for gastritis and reopening the previously denied claim of entitlement to service connection for hypertension have been granted. However, his claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability has been denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II. As a result, the claim for secondary service connection for hypertension is granted.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for acne vulgaris with residual scarring was denied. The claim for service connection for hypertension, to include as secondary to in-service exposure to herbicides or as secondary to service-connected acne vulgaris with residual scarring, was also denied.

The Veteran's hypertension was not incurred or aggravated by service, including exposure to herbicides. The Board finds that the relationship between hypertension and PTSD is less likely than not established.

The Veteran's service connection claims for migraine headaches and hypertension have been granted.,A rating of 20 percent has been assigned for the right shoulder condition, effective from December 7, 2013.

The Veteran's claim for nonservice-connected pension benefits is denied as she does not meet the criteria for a permanent and total disability rating due to her service-connected knee disabilities, which are currently rated at 10 percent each.

The Veteran's hypertension and bilateral hearing loss are being remanded for additional examination to determine their current severity, as well as for the issuance of a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC) with VA treatment records from February 2016 to present.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a new VA examination.

The Veteran's hypertension was found to have been aggravated by his military service. The Board also granted service connection for residuals of right hand injury, finding that the in-service right thumb strain likely caused current degenerative joint disease.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a Board video conference hearing. The issues of service connection for various conditions are still under consideration.

The Veteran has been granted service connection for type II diabetes mellitus and erectile dysfunction as secondary to his service-connected type II diabetes mellitus.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is considered presumptively incurred in service due to herbicide exposure. Service connection was also granted for hypertension, which is presumed to have been caused by herbicide exposure during service.,Service connection has been established for a psychosis for the purpose of establishing eligibility for treatment only under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1702.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his bilateral knee disabilities and service connection for pancreas failure, renal failure (including as due to diabetes mellitus, type 2), hypertension (including as due to diabetes mellitus, type 2), and diabetes mellitus, type 2. The TDIU claim was also denied.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and hypertension have been denied as there is no current disability that meets the criteria for these conditions. The claim for a compensable rating for residuals of a spontaneous pneumothorax, right lung, remains pending.

The Veteran's request for hearings has been addressed, and the case is being remanded due to his unavailability. The Board will schedule a videoconference hearing on April 1, 2016.

The Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus, type II and hypertension are being remanded due to incomplete service records and the need for additional examinations. The peripheral neuropathy claims will be considered as part of this process.

The Veteran's hypertension is being remanded for further examination and opinion to determine its etiology, including whether it is related to service or secondary to PTSD.