Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2017

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities. The evidence is in equipoise regarding whether the Veteran's pain and stress from his knee disabilities caused or aggravated his hypertension.

The Veteran's hypertension is service connected as it had its onset during active service.,There is no evidence to support a finding that the Veteran's type II diabetes mellitus (DMII) or peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities were caused by his military service, including exposure to herbicides.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for further development, including verification of in-service stressors and obtaining private medical records. VA examinations will be conducted to assess current psychiatric disorders, sleep disorder, and hypertension.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased evaluation must be remanded due to incomplete development of evidence, including exposure to hazardous chemicals in Guam and Diego Garcia. The Veteran is entitled to a VA examination to determine the etiology of his diabetes mellitus and hypertension.

The Board has determined that service connection is not warranted for any of the claimed disabilities, as there is no evidence showing a nexus to service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for hypertension.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain a fully adequate VA medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of any current hypertension, as well as to address whether the Veteran's service-connected type II diabetes mellitus and/or coronary artery disease caused or permanently aggravated his hypertension.

The Board has dismissed the appeal of the claim for service connection for blood clots. The remaining issues are addressed in the REMAND portion of the decision.

The Veteran's migraine headaches, hypertension, and traumatic brain injury are all found to be related to service. The Board finds that the Veteran has established service connection for these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and chronic renal failure, finding that these conditions had their onset during service. The Veteran's kidney problems are related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the etiology of his liver transplant residuals and hypertension.

The Veteran's right elbow arthralgia is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that it more closely approximates a limitation of motion to 70 degrees.

The Veteran's heart condition and hypertension are being remanded for additional development, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding the relationship between his service-connected PTSD and his current heart conditions.

The Veteran's hypertension is currently rated at 20 percent, and the evidence does not support a higher rating during the appeal period.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, as his combined evaluation does not meet the schedular requirements for a TDIU.

The Veteran's hypertension and endogenous depression with psychophysiological headaches have not been established as service-connected or due to a service-connected disability. The claim for an increased rating has also been denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension was not initially manifested in service, did not manifest to a compensable degree within one year of discharge, and is not causally or etiologically related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II. The Board also found that the Veteran's erectile dysfunction is not caused by or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a genitourinary disorder, cardiovascular disorder (hypertension), and gastrointestinal disorder. The reasons were not provided in detail.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension was not caused or aggravated by his service-connected panic disorder and did not manifest until years after separation from service, thus denying service connection for hypertension.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to a lack of response from the appellant regarding private treatment records and nursing home records. The Veteran's hypertension was not related to service.