Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the cases for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and service treatment records from the Veteran's period of active duty. The issues of entitlement to service connection for various disabilities are also being addressed.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including verification of in-country exposure and identification of any prostate disability.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen claims for sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, type II, and hypertension. The claim for service connection for a right knee disability is reopened but the Veteran's right knee disability is not found to be related to his period of active service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus and denied his claim for hypertension. For tinnitus, the Board found that reasonable doubt must be resolved in favor of the Veteran, as there is evidence supporting a nexus between his current tinnitus and noise exposure during active duty. For hypertension, the Board determined that clear and unmistakable evidence shows the condition preexisted service and was not aggravated by service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension first arose during his last period of active duty service while he was deployed to Kosovo, and it is not clear that this condition preexisted service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for hypertension is granted.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this claim.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions and his presumed exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board has granted service connection for a spine disability, headaches, and hypertension. The Veteran's spine disability is related to his military service, his headaches are aggravated by his service-connected tinnitus, and his hypertension did not manifest during service.

The Board denied the Veteran's attempts to reopen his claims for service connection for a low back disability and coronary artery disease and hypertension, finding no new and material evidence.

The Veteran's appeal was granted for service connection of coronary artery disease, type II diabetes mellitus, and PTSD with depressive disorder NOS. The Veteran's claim for hypertension is pending.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is found to be incurred in service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition. The claims for hypertension and erectile dysfunction are remanded as additional development is needed.

The Board has granted service connection for the claimed conditions, finding that they are secondary to the Veteran's service-connected low back disability.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise, and therefore grants service connection for hypertension as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's hypertension has not been manifested by diastolic pressure predominantly 110 or more; or systolic pressure predominantly 200 or more, and thus does not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient evidence regarding their onset in service or within one year of exposure to herbicide agents. The Veteran is also required to provide additional treatment records.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for hypertension and migraines due to exposure to herbicide agents, as well as their relationship to PTSD. The Veteran's claims will be reconsidered with new evidence from VA and private sources.

The Veteran's appeals for hypertension, hepatitis B, and migraine headaches have been dismissed as he has withdrawn his appeal.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the etiology of his claimed conditions and whether they are related to service-connected PTSD.

The Board has granted service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus, Type II. The effective date of the award is set to the date of receipt of the claim (October 24, 1995).