Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2017

The Veteran's fibromyalgia and hypertension have been granted service connection, with the former being characterized as a new and material condition.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal regarding the issues of entitlement to service connection for hypertension and optic nerve damage and retinal folds, both eyes, with both issues to include as secondary to the service-connected disability of diabetes mellitus type 2.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension did not begin during service and was not caused by or permanently worsened by any service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus, with erectile dysfunction, and urinary incontinence.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected hypertension is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and consideration of new evidence.

The Board finds that the Veteran's statements regarding his hypertension are credible and by extension, he is competent to repeat a diagnosis he was given in service. Moreover, the Veteran's statements regarding his hypertension are bolstered by the fact that hypertension is a known manifestation of glomerulonephritis with proteinuria in the nephrotic range.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinions regarding whether the Veteran's hypertension is related to his service, including exposure to Agent Orange, and/or as secondary to PTSD. The case will be adjudicated again after obtaining a supplemental opinion from the VA primary care physician.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of hypertension and denied service connection for arterial hypertension. The Veteran's eye disability, including refractive error, was considered but no new evidence was presented to reopen the claim.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, finding that the preponderance of evidence is against a finding that it was incurred or aggravated during service.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than depression but including posttraumatic stress disorder was also denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and a right leg vascular disorder, claimed as blood loss, are being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran's hypertension, migraines, and other service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating or extraschedular evaluation. The Board denied his claim of entitlement to TDIU prior to September 10, 2010.

The Board granted service connection for hypertension and hypertensive heart disease, finding that the conditions are related to herbicide exposure during service in the Gulf War. The Veteran is assigned a 10% disability rating.

The Veteran's hypertension is found to be due to herbicide exposure in Vietnam. The supraventricular or valvular pulmonic stenosis is not related to service, Agent Orange exposure, or a service-connected condition.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, and bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy on a presumptive basis due to exposure to herbicides. Service connection is also granted for right upper extremity, left upper extremity, right lower extremity, and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension did not manifest during service or within one year of separation, and is not related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus and ischemic heart disease.

The Board has determined that there is no current diagnosis of hypertension, and thus the claim for service connection for hypertension is denied. The liver disorder was diagnosed but the cause remains unclear.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for PTSD and service connection for hypertension were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 50 percent prior to September 19, 2015, or to a rating in excess of 70 percent thereafter for PTSD. For hypertension, there was insufficient evidence to establish service connection as secondary to PTSD.

The Veteran's hypertension is being remanded for a VA examination to determine if it is related to his exposure to Agent Orange during service. The current evidence does not support presumptive service connection, but the Board acknowledges suggestive evidence of an association between Agent Orange and hypertension.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease aggravated his hypertension. The Veteran will be provided an adequate VA examination report or opinion.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension was not incurred in service and is not related to his service-connected PTSD or diabetes. As a result, service connection for hypertension was denied.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for diabetes mellitus was denied as his symptoms did not require regulation of activities.