Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2018

The Board has dismissed the appeals for accrued benefits, VA death pension benefits, and DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 due to withdrawal of claims by the appellant. The appeal for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is remanded for further development.

The Veteran's hypertension has not been manifested by diastolic pressure of predominantly 100 or more or systolic blood pressure predominantly 160 or more and the medical evidence shows that it has otherwise been controlled with medication.,There is no competent medical evidence to show that the Veteran’s headaches were caused by active service. The Board does not discern a direct causal relationship between her headaches and active service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and incomplete rationale for the rating of hypertension. The Veteran's service-connected peripheral vascular disease and hypertension are not at issue.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found that new and material evidence was not submitted to reopen the claim of a bilateral shoulder disability, and that there is no nexus between his heart disabilities, hypertension, kidney disabilities (nephrolithiasis and chronic renal disease), or dyslexia and his active military service or service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's hypertension is denied as not being caused by his service-connected PTSD. A 50 percent rating for PTSD is granted, effective October 21, 2004.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus and hypertension are inextricably intertwined, necessitating remand for further examination and opinion regarding the etiology of his diabetes mellitus. The TDIU claim is also being remanded due to its connection with the service connection issue.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension was granted in a June 2018 rating decision, making the appeal moot.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a respiratory disorder, an inguinal hernia, sleep apnea, and hypertension (claimed secondary to PTSD) due to insufficient evidence or examination findings.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for heat intolerance, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and left ear hearing loss. The decision also noted that new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.

The Board has granted service connection for a headache disability secondary to service-connected PTSD, but denied all other service connection claims. The effective date of the grant is January 16, 2013.

Service connection for hearing loss has been reconsidered and reopened.,Service connection for hypertension was denied.,Service connection for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis is granted with an effective date of August 20, 2003.,Service connection for tinnitus is granted but the effective date is earlier than November 6, 2014.

Service connection is granted for hypertension. The Veteran developed hypertension in service and there is no evidence of pre-existing condition.,Service connection is denied for bilateral hearing loss as the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a disability based on current audiometric findings.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are related to his service-connected thyroid condition. The claims are being remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, PTSD, depression, anxiety, and other psychiatric disabilities. The claims for bilateral wrist disability, breathing disability (including allergic rhinitis and sinusitis), vision loss disability, cervical spine disability, dizziness, sleep disability, degenerative arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, lower extremities, elbow disability, scoliosis, and traumatic brain injury are remanded for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for hypertension and residuals of a stroke due to new evidence being added to the record. The Veteran's representative requested this, and the Board agrees.

The Board has determined that additional development is required for the Veteran's claims of PTSD and hypertension, including a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected PTSD and to determine if his hypertension is related to in-service herbicide exposure.

The Board denied service connection for left eye disorder, tinnitus, hepatitis C, hypertension, and bilateral hearing loss as there was no competent medical evidence to support the Veteran's claims.,Service connection could not be established because there were no in-service incurrences or manifestations of these conditions.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a facial chemical burn is denied as there is no current diagnosis of such condition.,Service connection for fatty liver is also denied due to lack of evidence linking the condition to in-service treatment with Nizoral.

The Board denied service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), Hypertension, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain a VA examination for hypertension, as the issue was not previously addressed. The Board will also determine if service connection can be established for hypertension due to Agent Orange exposure and/or its relationship to his other service-connected conditions.