Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2016

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining relevant medical records and providing an opinion regarding the etiology of her claimed conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development regarding his claims of service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, hypertension, cataracts, heart disorder, and hypothyroidism, all claimed as due to exposure to herbicides in service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension has been reopened, and he is now entitled to a 10 percent initial evaluation prior to March 14, 2007. The effective date of his PTSD service connection remains pending.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension was not caused or aggravated by his service, including exposure to herbicides. The claim for secondary service connection based on type II diabetes mellitus and PTSD was also denied as there is no evidence of aggravation.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension was not shown to be related to service or a service-connected disability, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board finds that the overpayment of educational assistance benefits in the amount of $5259.00 is invalid due to VA's administrative error and grants the Veteran's request for waiver of this overpayment.

The Veteran's hypertension, degenerative changes of the thoracolumbar spine, and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity are all found to be related to service.,The Veteran's right knee disability is not directly linked to service but may be secondary to his service-connected left foot disability. The right hip disability is also considered secondary to the service-connected left foot disability.

The RO denied service connection for hypertension, migraine headaches, right and left knee arthralgia, right and left wrist pain, sinusitis, and residuals of fracture, right leg based on findings that no current disability was shown.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional medical examinations and records, as well as further development of the claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome were denied. The Board found no current diagnosis of hypertension, and the Veteran did not have a compensable disability at any time during the appeal period.

The Veteran's right knee degenerative joint disease and obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, and TMJ disorder are service-connected. The Veteran is granted initial ratings of 10 percent for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is not proximately caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II. The claim of service connection for a disability manifested by chronic joint pain, claimed as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, remains pending.

The Veteran's service-connected residuals of right leg DVT and hypertension are rated at the minimum compensable levels since December 29, 2009. The Veteran is not entitled to a higher rating for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension did not manifest during, within one year of, or as a result of active military service and has not been caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction, result in a total combined rating of 60%. Although the Veteran does not meet the schedular requirements for TDIU based on his combined disability rating, he is unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's skin cancer is related to sun exposure during active duty service and grants service connection for this condition. The claim for hypertension remains pending as it was not addressed in the decision.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for all issues on appeal, including those related to hypertension, PTSD prior to April 30, 2015, bilateral hearing loss, and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and TDIU due to PTSD. The evidence did not support a finding of direct service connection or secondary service connection.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and essential hypertension are being remanded due to the need for new VA examinations and consideration of outstanding VA treatment records.