Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2017

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension, ischemic heart disease (IHD), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung cancer were not incurred in or aggravated by active service. The VA opinions provided no evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board found no evidence of a heart disability or hypertension during service, and denied service connection for these conditions. The lung disabilities were also not related to service, including exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for hypertension and granted it as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II. The Veteran's hypertension is found to be proximately due to or a result of his service-connected diabetes.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension did not have its clinical onset during or as a result of service, including herbicide/Agent Orange exposure, and is not otherwise related to service or a service-connected disability, to include diabetes.

The Board has remanded the claims due to a failure to provide proper notice and scheduling of a hearing. The Veteran's new address must be provided, and a video conference hearing must be scheduled at the earliest available opportunity.

The Veteran's essential hypertension is not service-connected and was not caused or aggravated by his service-connected cirrhosis. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for essential hypertension.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss prior to October 1, 2015 has been withdrawn.,The Veteran's appeal for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss on or after October 1, 2015 has been withdrawn.,The Veteran's appeal for an effective date earlier than September 26, 2008, for the assignment of a 10 percent evaluation for hypertension has been withdrawn.,The Veteran's appeal for whether the combined service-connected disability evaluation of 20 percent, effective September 26, 2008, is correct has been withdrawn.,Service connection for coronary artery disease as secondary to service-connected hypertension has been granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have any service-connected disabilities for which he is seeking benefits, and therefore, his claims of entitlement to service connection for hypertension (HTN), bilateral hearing loss, sleep apnea, and an acquired psychiatric disorder are denied. The Veteran's contentions regarding these conditions were found insufficient to meet the burden of proof.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of heart disease, and therefore cannot establish service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's hypertension is caused by his service-connected obstructive sleep apnea, and thus he is granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities meet the threshold criteria for TDIU, and his education, special training, and employment history are considered. The Board finds that there is at least an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence as to whether he is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no direct link between his active duty service and his current condition. The Board also noted that hypertension did not manifest within one year of discharge from service or during service.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and hypertension have been granted. The Board finds that the Veteran has established service connection for these conditions based on their presumptive association with herbicide exposure during active duty.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of his hypertension and peripheral neuropathy.

The Veteran is granted SMC based on housebound status beyond December 1, 2012. He has a single service-connected disability rated as 100 percent due to diabetes mellitus and its associated conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims due to inadequate opinions and inextricably intertwined issues of service connection, TDIU, and the need for updated treatment records.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, and hypertension all claimed due to exposure to herbicide agents. The Veteran's service records do not indicate any actual exposure to herbicide agents during his service.,Arthritis of the hands and back was also denied as it did not become manifest within one year of service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a lung condition, including COPD, asthma, bronchitis, and pulmonary hypertension is being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding whether he has pulmonary hypertension related to his military service.