Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2018

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for hypertension and granted the claim, finding that there is sufficient evidence to support a relationship between the Veteran's hypertension and his active service.

The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation at a higher rate due to the need for aid and attendance and loss of use of both feet, resulting from service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, and the claim for an evaluation in excess of 70 percent has been denied. The hypertension claim has been remanded.

The Veteran's hypertension, acquired psychiatric disability, and kidney and urinary disabilities are granted. The remaining issues of service connection for vision disability, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes mellitus, multiple sclerosis, and migraines are remanded.

The Board has denied the claims of service connection for rheumatoid arthritis, Graves' disease, and hypertension. The claim of service connection for fibromyalgia is remanded due to inadequate examination.

The Board has remanded multiple claims for further development due to the Veteran not being properly notified of VA examinations related to his service connection and increased disability rating claims.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for gastrointestinal disability, headaches, GERD and hypertension, sleep disorder/sleep apnea, mood disorder, and CVID. The issues are related to whether these conditions are directly related to his military service or if they were caused by other conditions he is already service-connected for.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and hypertension due to additional development and adjudicative action. The claims will be reviewed again with consideration of all periods of active duty service, including National Guard service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding no current diagnosis of hypertension and concluding that any hypertension is not related to or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus II.

The Board has remanded several claims due to the need for additional medical opinions and development of records. The Veteran's hypertension, erectile dysfunction, left ankle strain, myocardial infarction (coronary artery disease), PTSD, and left knee arthoplasty are all under review.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including left knee disorder, otitis media, sinusitis, hypertension, urticaria, thyroid cancer, and headaches. The Veteran did not meet the criteria for service connection in any of these cases.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus type II due to outstanding private treatment records being requested.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for various conditions, including obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, artery disease of the bilateral legs, diabetes mellitus, and bilateral lower extremity neuropathy, as well as an acquired psychiatric disorder. The Veteran's claims are now pending for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's cause of death is due to prostate cancer, which the appellant contends was caused by in-service herbicide agent exposure. The Board has remanded for further action including obtaining VA treatment records and service personnel records, verifying the Veteran’s claimed in-service exposure, and requesting an opinion from an oncologist regarding the etiology of the Veteran's prostate cancer.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to exposure at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The Veteran's interstitial lung disease and COPD are being examined for a causal link to exposure to contaminated water and chemical gas in service. His hypertension is also being evaluated for a possible link to these exposures. Lastly, his bilateral lower extremity skin rash condition is being reviewed for a potential connection to the same exposures.

The Board has dismissed the appeal of the bilateral hearing loss disability claim. The remaining claims for service connection are remanded due to lack of verification of National Guard service and need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's heart disability (including coronary artery disease), hypertension, and acquired psychiatric disorder are granted as presumptively related to herbicide exposure in Vietnam.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings of hypertension and PTSD, as well as his claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea secondary to PTSD. More contemporaneous examinations are needed to evaluate these claims.

The Board has granted service connection for depression and obstructive sleep apnea, both found to be aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities. The issues of increased ratings for left and right knee patellar tendonitis, service connection for supraventricular arrhythmia and high blood pressure are remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including lumbar spondylolisthesis, refractive error (now claimed as blurry vision), bilateral hearing loss, high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus type 2, and a right eye injury. The evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and active service.