Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2017

The Veteran's hypertension, diabetes mellitus type 2, parathyroid disorder, pituitary adenomas (tumor), restless and shaky leg syndrome, and sleep apnea have been granted service connection based on direct evidence of a nexus to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and VA treatment records. Additional examinations are also needed to assess the current severity of his right hip, right shoulder, left knee, and right knee disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including verification of service periods and additional medical examinations to determine if hypertension and an acquired psychiatric disorder are related to military service.

The Veteran's hypertension and diabetes mellitus, type 2 are granted service connection as secondary to his PTSD and hypertension respectively. The ratings for the bilateral knee disabilities remain unchanged.

The Veteran's hypertension, which required continuous medication to control, resulted in blood pressure readings that were predominantly over 80 mmHg diastolic and over 120 mmHg systolic during the period of appeal. The Board found a 10 percent evaluation for hypertension was warranted.

The Veteran's heart tumor, hypertension, and kidney disease are being remanded for additional development to determine if they are related to his service in the Persian Gulf.

The Veteran's service-connected hypertension is found to be the proximate cause of her TIA, and thus she is granted service connection for residuals of TIA on a secondary basis.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including consideration of new evidence and an addendum opinion from the VA examiner who conducted a PTSD disability benefits questionnaire.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for examinations to determine the nature of his service-connected disabilities and whether they are related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is not related to his military service, including exposure to oil well fires. As a result, the claim for service connection for hypertension is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current back disability, obstructive sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, type II, and bilateral foot disabilities are related to his service. However, there is no evidence of herbicide exposure during service or a direct link between these conditions.

The Veteran was granted a TDIU effective March 16, 2009. The Board has determined that the earliest possible effective date for this award is October 27, 2007.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and a kidney disability as proximately related to hypertension, finding that there is no evidence of in-service onset or aggravation of these conditions. The claim for hypertension was not granted due to lack of continuity of symptomatology within one year post-service, and the claim for a kidney disability was denied as a matter of law since service connection for hypertension was not established.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a chronic liver disorder, and thus service connection for this condition is denied.

The Veteran's hypertension was not incurred in service and is not secondary to his non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.,The Veteran's foot disorder was not incurred in service and is not secondary to his non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and PTSD. The appeal was also dismissed due to untimely filing of a VA-9 form in response to the June 6, 2005 Statement of the Case.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are denied as the evidence does not support a finding that any of these conditions were incurred or aggravated by his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension and epilepsy were not incurred or aggravated during his active duty service. The evidence does not show a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has determined that the November 2013 VA examination reports are inadequate to adjudicate the appeals and remands the case for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension, bronchitis/pulmonary disorder, and ischemic heart disease are related to his service exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam.