Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2018

The Veteran's hypertension requires continuous medication, but has not been shown to result in diastolic pressure predominantly 110 or more or systolic pressure predominantly 200 or more. The Board grants a 10 percent rating for hypertension.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is aggravated by his service-connected PTSD and hepatitis C, which he claims was caused by military service in Iraq, are related to his service.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for service connection for hypertensive vascular disease with hypertension and osteoarthritis of the bilateral knees, ankles, and wrists. As a result, the claims are dismissed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension was incurred during his first period of service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's hypertension is rated at 10 percent since December 20, 2012.,Bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected due to exposure to loud noise during service.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is granted based on the presumption of service connection.

The Veteran's hypertension is presumed to be related to his service in Vietnam, and a VA examination is needed to determine if it was caused by herbicide exposure. The spinal hematoma may also be related to the hypertension.

The Veteran's service connected disabilities do not render him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's heart disability is not service-connected. His hypertension, eye injury, and foot disability are all service-connected.

The Veteran's nonservice-connected disabilities for pension purposes prior to October 25, 2017 included PTSD with major depression, knee arthralgia, Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome, hypertension, inguinal hernia, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The Veteran was not found to meet the schedular criteria for a permanent and total disability rating prior to October 25, 2017. As such, he is not entitled to nonservice-connected pension benefits prior to that date.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain the Veteran's private medical records related to his claimed conditions. The appeal will be remanded for this purpose.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal for all issues related to hypertension, circulatory problems of the lower extremities, and radiculopathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection for left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, tinnitus, or a shoulder disability.

The Board has ordered additional development and remanded the case due to deficiencies in notice provided during a previous hearing, as well as insufficient evidence to support the claim for service connection for hypertension.

The Board has ordered additional development due to incomplete records and an inadequate VA examination. The Veteran's hypertension and acquired psychiatric disability claims are being remanded for further action.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran's income exceeded the maximum annual pension rate and whether there are any new or material pieces of evidence for his service connection claims. The case will be returned to the RO for further action.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes and his OSA is not attributable to service. Additionally, hypertension was not manifest in service or within one year of service and is not otherwise attributable to service.

The Veteran's hypertension and stroke were not found to be related to service or a service-connected disability. The acquired psychiatric disorder was also denied as secondary to migraine headaches.

The Veteran has been diagnosed with hypertension, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, and tinnitus. The Board grants service connection for hypertension under the presumption of chronicity based on in-service exposure to acoustic trauma.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining records from the North Florida South Georgia Veterans Health System and scheduling a VA examination. The claims will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Board denied service connection for a heart condition, hypertension, and gout. The Veteran's exposure to chemicals during service is substantiated, but the Board found no evidence of an in-service injury or disease that caused these conditions.,Service connection was not granted as there is no direct evidence linking the current disabilities to service.