Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2017

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension was not incurred in service and is not related to his diabetes mellitus. Therefore, service connection for hypertension is denied.

The Veteran's hypertension was found to have manifested within a year of discharge from service, meeting the criteria for presumptive service connection.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD is granted. The Board finds that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's PTSD is related to an in-service event, specifically witnessing an airplane crash.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for hypertension is denied. The preponderance of evidence does not establish a link between his hypertension and his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran is found to be in need of regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected back, knee, and ankle disabilities that result in difficulty with activities of daily living such as dressing, grooming, preparing meals, and medication management.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension and entitlement to an increased rating for PTSD, finding that there was no direct evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by or substantially contributed to by any service-connected disability, including his service-connected conversion disorder.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development and examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including TBI, headaches, sleep apnea, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, tremors of the hands, a mid-and-low back disorder, bilateral knee disorders, and bilateral ankle disorders have been denied. The Board found no current diagnosis of TBI or other claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's hypertensive heart disease was granted a 30 percent rating from June 19, 2008 to April 5, 2010. The appeal is not about service connection and thus the conditions are evaluated under direct service connection.

The Veteran's hypertension claim is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding its etiology and whether it is secondary to his service-connected diabetes.

The Veteran's appeals were withdrawn by the appellant. The RO granted service connection for right knee degenerative joint arthritis, and thus the issue of entitlement to a right knee disability is no longer in appellate status.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to in-service noise exposure. The Board finds additional development necessary for the remaining issues on appeal, including a VA examination for hearing loss and hypertension.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss, hepatitis B, hyperaldosteronism, hypertension, and hypokalemia are all found to be related to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, prostate cancer, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, and emphysema based on herbicide exposure. The evidence did not support the Veteran's claim of in-country service near or within the DMZ.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to have had its onset during service, and the Board granted service connection for this condition. The claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and hypertension are being remanded due to further development needs.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for hypertension is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and a new examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current hypertension, diabetes mellitus type 2, and migraines are not related to his active military service. The claims for these conditions have been granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, heart conditions, and hypertension were not related to service or service-connected disabilities. The claims for these conditions are therefore denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between the claimed conditions and active service.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have current sleep apnea or a heart condition, including coronary artery disease and hypertension. The claims for service connection were denied.