Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2016

The Veteran's prostate cancer was active from July 30, 2008 to October 10, 2010 and a 100% rating has been granted for this period.

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

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected, while hypertension, a seizure disorder, and peptic ulcer disease are not. The Veteran's type II diabetes mellitus is rated at 10 percent.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted service connection. The appeals for hypertension and a scar on the left arm as a residual of a shell fragment wound were dismissed.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for increased ratings for various conditions, including diabetic retinopathy and peripheral neuropathy. The claims were not granted.

The Board has granted a 20 percent disability rating for the service-connected right knee disability, effective from the date of the decision. The Veteran's hypertension and coronary artery disease are also found to be related to his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent from December 3, 2012 to the present. The appeal for higher ratings on other conditions and service connection claims are dismissed.

The Board has granted service connection for a TBI and remanded the remaining claims due to need for additional development.

The Veteran's hypertension is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not caused or aggravated by his service-connected sleep apnea.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension is not related to his service-connected diabetes and denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's psychiatric disability is found to be etiologically related to his service-connected back disabilities and resulting chronic pain.,Service connection for hypertension as secondary to service-connected back disabilities was denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for non-service-connected disability pension because he did not serve during a period of war, which is a requirement for eligibility.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension was not manifested in service or within one year post-service, and the preponderance of evidence is against a finding that it is related to his service (to include as due to herbicide exposure). Therefore, service connection for hypertension is denied.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current hypertension did not manifest during service or within one year of separation, and is otherwise unrelated to service. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding of service connection for hypertension.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and found that the Veteran did not have hypertension in service or within one year thereafter.,The Board also denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder, alcoholism, or posttraumatic stress disorder. The claim was reopened based on new evidence but the Board concluded that the current condition is less likely due to service.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and providing a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's in-service symptoms are related to his later diagnosed atrial fibrillation and hypertension.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for hypertension and migraine headaches due to incomplete records, including service treatment records. The AOJ will attempt to obtain these records and provide an additional VA medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's hypertension.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and a heart condition, to include as secondary to hypertension, have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not establish a current disability or link between service and these conditions.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for hypertension. However, before the merits of that claim and the remaining claims on appeal may be adjudicated, additional development is required due to the need for a new VA examination for his sleep disorder and GERD with IBS.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current hypertension is at least as likely as not caused or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD, and thus grants service connection for hypertension on a secondary basis.