Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2017

The Veteran's heart disorder (including ischemic heart disease) is presumed to have been incurred in service due to exposure to herbicide agents. The other conditions are not granted as service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and to schedule him for VA examinations to determine the severity of his service-connected conditions. The issues include initial compensable disability ratings for left and right heel spurs, hypertension, and insomnia.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions, including PTSD and major depression, were granted. The rating assigned for GERD was increased to 10 percent.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for myelodysplasia syndrome, hypertension, and anemia on a direct basis or as a result of exposure to herbicide agents. The most probative evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension did not have its onset in service or as a result of exposure to herbicide agents, and is not otherwise related to his diabetes. As such, the claim for service connection for hypertension is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, finding that the Veteran's hypertension is related to his military service, including due to herbicide exposure while serving in Vietnam.

The Veteran's hypertension is now service-connected as secondary to his diabetes mellitus type II, which he contends was caused by herbicide exposure.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus type II with associated disabilities, including abnormal brain matter, arthritis, fatigue, breathing difficulties, hypertension, balance/fainting problems, gastrointestinal disorder, heartburn, skin disorder (including lumps on the left hand), broken bones, memory problems, kidney trouble, and confusion, all claimed as a result of herbicide exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension did not begin during service or due to herbicide exposure, and is not related to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's left carotid artery is intact, and his hypertension, transient ischemic attacks, and occluded left carotid artery were not manifest during service or within one year of separation. The Board denied service connection for these conditions.,There is no clinical finding of sterility in the record. The Veteran has psychological erectile dysfunction (ED) that is not secondary to radiation therapy to his parotid malignancy.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including conjunctivitis, right ankle disability, left foot/ankle disability, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, Meniere's disease, hypertension, bilateral hand disability, and generalized arthritis. The appeal was also denied regarding a claim for increased ratings for certain disabilities.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction, peripheral vascular disease of the lower extremities, and hypertension are rated as 60 percent disabling. The Veteran's stomach ulcers are not service connected.

The Veteran was granted service connection for chronic renal insufficiency with hypertension, effective December 15, 2005. However, the appeal of past-due benefits from a May 2007 rating decision is denied as there was no final Board decision at that time.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development and consideration of the interrelated issues.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the nature, etiology, and date of onset of his right shoulder injury, trigeminal neuralgia, and hypertension. The claims will be reviewed again after this additional development.

The Veteran's appeal is denied for the issues of higher ratings for bilateral hearing loss, service connection for dental disorder for VA compensation purposes, bilateral eye disability (including cataracts and normal tension glaucoma), kidney disability (including kidney stones), diabetes mellitus, and hypertension. The appeals are all denied as not supported by evidence.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations to determine the etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for hepatitis C. The Veteran's current myositis and hepatitis C may be associated with his Vietnam service, triggering VA's duty to provide an examination as to their etiology.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected type 2 diabetes mellitus, finding that the disability was aggravated by his diabetes.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, cervical spine disability, or an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The claim of service connection for these conditions remains denied.