Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2017

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is not causally or etiologically related to his service, and specifically does not meet the criteria for secondary service connection based on his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's migraines existed prior to her second period of service and were aggravated during this period. Service connection for migraines is granted. The issue of service connection for hypertension, secondary to a service-connected psychiatric disability, remains pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and an initial compensable evaluation for folliculitis-like skin lesions, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to incomplete medical opinions and need for further examination.

The Veteran's hypertension and CVA residuals were not incurred in or aggravated by service, are not related to service, and are not the result of in-service Agent Orange exposure.,CAD is not productive of congestive heart failure, cardiac hypertrophy or dilatation, or left ventricular ejection fraction 50 percent or less; it results in dyspnea with workload of greater 7 but not greater than 10 metabolic equivalents.

The Veteran's service connection claim for degenerative changes of the lumbar spine is granted. The Board finds that there is sufficient evidence to place the relevant evidence in equipoise as to whether the Veteran has a back disability related to service, and thus grants service connection.

The Veteran's hypertension is service-connected on a direct basis. The initial rating for coronary artery disease prior to November 28, 2016 was granted at 30 percent and since then has been increased to 60 percent.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension, migraine headaches, bilateral eye disability, and left knee disability are not related to service or service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's death was caused by severe anoxic encephalopathy with underlying causes of respiratory failure and status post cardiopulmonary arrest. His service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II, associated with herbicidal agent exposure, did not cause or substantially contribute to his death.

The Veteran's claims for increased prostate cancer and service connection for hypertension, peripheral neuropathy of the extremities, and carpal tunnel syndrome have been denied. The Board found that there was no evidence to support a finding of service connection based on exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension, which preexisted his second period of service and worsened during this time, contributed to his death from hypertensive and atherosclerotic disease. The appellant is therefore granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's hypertension and gastroesophageal reflux disease with hiatal hernia have been granted service connection, but the increased evaluation for gastroesophageal reflux disease with hiatal hernia is denied.

The Veteran withdrew from appeal the issues of entitlement to service connection for hypertension and erectile dysfunction, entitlement to increased ratings for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, right knee arthritis, and left knee arthritis, and entitlement to a TDIU.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Veteran was granted presumptive service connection for conditions due to exposure to herbicides, including Agent Orange.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development and readjudication due to issues related to service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and TDIU.

The Veteran's polycythemia vera is related to his service, as are the secondary conditions of fatigue, bone pain, dementia, major depression with anxiety, hypertension, transient ischemic attacks (TIA), heart failure, anemia, pre-syncope, renal insufficiency and headaches.,Osteoarthritis and disc degeneration of the cervical spine are also related to his service.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted a disability rating of 70 percent from November 12, 2009 to September 7, 2016. The Veteran's hypertension and bilateral hearing loss were both found not to warrant compensable ratings.

The Board has ordered a supplemental VA opinion to address whether the Veteran's hypertension is caused by or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD and/or allergic rhinitis, as well as any other relevant factors.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding no new and material evidence to reopen the previously denied claim. The appeal is dismissed.

The Board finds that the Veteran's hypertension reached a compensable level within one year of discharge from service, qualifying for presumptive service connection.,There is no evidence of a diagnosed heart condition associated with the identified heart murmur during service or post-service.