Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2017

The Board has granted service connection for OSA, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus as secondary to service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's leg disability is considered secondary to a service-connected back disability and claimed diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's hypertension is related to a period of service and the claim for service connection has been granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board finds that the Veteran's hypertension was due to his active duty service and is granted service connection.,There is no evidence linking the Veteran's left foot numbness to any incident of his active duty service. Service connection for this condition is denied.,The Veteran has not had a right foot disability manifested as numbness during the appeal period, so service connection for right foot numbness is also denied.

The Veteran's PTSD and dementia symptoms result in total occupational impairment, and his symptoms more nearly approximate total social impairment.,The evidence demonstrates that the Veteran requires the regular aid and attendance of another person as a result of his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete opinions regarding service connection for hypertension, including exposure to herbicide agents and aggravation by other conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension was not present in service or manifest to a compensable degree within one year of service discharge, and is not otherwise related to service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for hypertension is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral lower extremity pain, hypertension, skin disorders, abdominal aortic aneurysm, and heart disorder. The evidence did not establish that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension was not incurred in service and is not related to a service-connected disability. As such, the claim for service connection for hypertension is denied.

The Veteran's prostate disability, diagnosed as prostatic hypertrophy and enlarged prostate, is not considered to be due to service or herbicide agent exposure. His hypertension and heart disorder are presumed to have been caused by his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for squamous cell sarcoma due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam. Service connection for hypertension is denied as the evidence does not show it was caused by herbicide agent exposure or secondary to PTSD.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic heart disorder other than hypertension, and the competent medical evidence does not support service connection for either condition. The Veteran's hypertension was not diagnosed during service or post-service, and there is no evidence of continuity of symptomatology.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, heart disease, and hypertension as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD. The claims were remanded multiple times due to procedural issues.

The Board has determined that the VA Regional Office did not substantially comply with its prior remand directives and thus, the case is being returned to them for further development.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension was not caused by, or aggravated beyond its natural progression by, his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II or PTSD. The claim for secondary service connection for hypertension was denied.

The Veteran's hypertension is rated at a 10 percent disability evaluation, the lowest possible rating under VA guidelines for this condition.

The Board is remanding the case for a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge.

The claims for service connection for anterior cortical cataract and bilateral amblyopia, hypertension, pseudoptosis, and a heart condition have been previously denied. New evidence submitted does not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim.,The claims for service connection for chronic pulmonary disease have also been previously denied. New evidence submitted does not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension did not start during service or within one year of discharge, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease was granted a rating of 60 percent effective June 20, 2012. The Veteran is not entitled to higher ratings for his other conditions.