Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2018

The Veteran's sleep apnea, hypertension, lumbar spine disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, and bilateral eye disorders are all found to have onset during service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to address the issues of service connection for various conditions, including psychiatric disorders and cardiovascular diseases.

The Board has found that the Veteran's PTSD is related to his service in Vietnam, and therefore grants service connection for PTSD. The issue of service connection for HTN remains pending as additional development is required.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension is not related to his military service and may not be presumed to have been incurred in service. The Veteran's diabetes mellitus was not shown to cause or aggravate his hypertension, nor did it cause or aggravate his peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities. Therefore, service connection for these conditions was denied.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for hypertension has been withdrawn by his representative.

The Veteran's posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is rated at 70 percent disabling effective May 31, 2011. He was granted a TDIU based on PTSD from that date.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including a medical advisory opinion regarding the likely etiology of the Veteran's hypertension and heart disease.

The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal for an initial compensable rating for hypertension, and the Board has dismissed the case as a result.

The Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for service-connected left knee degenerative joint disease, hypertension, and migraines are remanded. The TDIU claim is also remanded due to its inextricability with the other claims.

The Veteran's hypertension was granted service connection as a result of continuity of symptomatology since his separation from service.

The Veteran's hypertension was not caused by service, diabetes, or within one year of service separation. Therefore, the claim for service connection is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and his military service or herbicide exposure. The Board also found that the Veteran did not have diabetes which could be linked to kidney damage and hypertension.

The Veteran's heart condition, hypertension, and residual cardiac scar have been granted effective from February 15, 2001. The squamous cell carcinoma of the right base of the tongue has not been granted an earlier effective date.,Issues related to increased ratings for the heart condition, hypertension, and residual cardiac scar are being remanded.

The Board has remanded two issues: hypertension and a skin disability of the hands and/or fingers. For both, additional medical opinions are needed to address the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's hypertension claim is being remanded for further examination and to obtain any outstanding medical records.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development and clarification of his service connection claims, particularly regarding periods of active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a compensable rating for his right shoulder scars, bilateral toe scars, or resection of metatarsal heads. His hearing loss was rated appropriately under VA guidelines. Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD and anxiety) was granted as new and material evidence had been received since the last denial in 2006.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension was not manifest during service or within one year of discharge, and is not otherwise etiologically related to such service. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that hypertension is caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board found that there is no evidence linking the Veteran's death to his service, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's type II diabetes mellitus, heart disorder, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities are not related to his active service or herbicide exposure.