Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2018

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and an initial compensable rating for restless leg syndrome. The Veteran's hypertension was not aggravated during his second or third periods of active duty, and the preexisting condition is presumed to have existed prior to service. Effective from February 10, 2012, the Veteran received ratings for lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Veteran's cause of death was not service-connected as his conditions were not incurred or aggravated by active duty, and there is no evidence of herbicide exposure during service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded due to the addition of new evidence. The issues include prostate cancer, bladder cancer, heart disorder, hypertension, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, hiatal hernia, and respiratory disorder.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's hypertension, which is presumed to be related to service exposure. The Veteran's COPD and diabetes mellitus are not service-connected.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, but the effective dates are not specified. The ratings assigned for obesity and hypertension remain unchanged.

The Board has remanded three issues: right great toe scars, status post right foot surgery first metatarsophalangeal joint; degenerative changes of the first metatarsophalangeal joint, and service connection for hypertension. The Veteran's claims are being remanded due to incomplete information regarding his surgeries and treatment records.

The Board has determined that the appellant's hypertension is related to his presumed exposure to herbicide agents during service, and thus remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for service-connected erectile dysfunction was denied. The Veteran is currently rated at 60 percent for his service-connected amputation of the left forearm pronator teres.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities were granted effective August 1, 2014. He also has a claim for an earlier effective date which is being remanded.,The Veteran's new claim for service connection for heart condition was denied. His hypertension, COPD, obstructive sleep apnea, prostate cancer, and tinnitus claims are all pending.,A total rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities is also being remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including hypertension, back disability, head injury with residual headaches and dizziness, sleep apnea, neuropathy, chronic pain disability, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The evidence did not establish that these conditions were incurred in or related to military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, headaches, hypertension, cervical spine DJD, right hand DJD, left hand DJD, right ear hearing loss, and right toe impairment have all been denied.,There is no current diagnosis of sleep apnea. The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of cervicogenic headaches related to service. Hypertension was not shown within the applicable presumptive period.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral eye disorder is related to his military service and if it is caused or aggravated by his service-connected hypertension.

The Veteran's kidney stones are currently rated at 10 percent, but the Board finds that a higher evaluation is not warranted as there have been no frequent attacks of colic requiring catheter drainage.,The Veteran's urinary tract infections do not require long-term drug therapy or hospitalizations, so a compensable rating is denied.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and consideration of audiometry findings.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a stomach condition, now claimed as gastrointestinal disability, has been reopened. The Board found new and material evidence to support the reopening of this claim.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension secondary to diabetes, an increased rating for his service-connected diabetes on an extraschedular basis, and a TDIU. The claims are being remanded due to inadequate medical opinions in previous decisions.

The Board dismissed all appeals due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and inextricably intertwined issues. The Veteran's claim will be further evaluated with additional medical opinions and records.

The Board has determined that additional evidence should be obtained and considered in the claims for service connection for various conditions, including left and right carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic infections of the right eye, hypertension, and bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's claim is being remanded to allow for this development.

The Board denied service connection for right shoulder disability, bilateral hip disability, and pericarditis with syncope as due to an undiagnosed illness or a medically unexplained chronic multi-symptom illness related to Persian Gulf War service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination. The effective dates for hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied.