Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2018

The Board denied service connection for erectile dysfunction due to diabetes mellitus II and/or hypertension and an atherosclerosis disease, finding that the evidence did not support a link between these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension has been remanded due to the need for a VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of his condition, which may be related to presumed Agent Orange exposure.

The Veteran's hypertension was shown in service and has been treated post-service. Service connection is granted.,The bilateral knee disorder (arthritis status-post total knee replacements) is proximately due to his service-connected left ankle disability. Service connection is granted.

The petition to reopen the previously denied claim of entitlement to service connection for low back disability is denied.,The petition to reopen the previously denied claim of entitlement to service connection for tuberculosis is denied.,The petition to reopen the previously denied claim of entitlement to service connection for hepatitis C is granted. Service connection for hepatitis C is denied.,A disability manifested by cramps in the thighs and legs has not been established.,Service connection for a hammertoe of the right foot has not been established.,Allergic rhinitis did not have its onset in service and is not otherwise related to service.,Hypertension did not have its onset in service; did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period; and is not otherwise related to service.,Erectile dysfunction did not have its onset in service and is not otherwise related to service.,A prostate disorder did not have its onset in service and is not otherwise related to service.,Toenail fungus did not have its onset in service and is not otherwise related to service.,An acquired psychiatric disability, including depression, did not have its onset in service and is not otherwise related to service.

The Veteran's VR&E benefits were initially denied due to his service-connected disabilities not constituting an employment handicap. However, a significant change in his disability picture has occurred since the initial denial, including new service connection for hepatitis C and hypertension. The Board now requires a functional capacity evaluation to determine if he currently suffers from an employment handicap.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for hypertension, end stage renal disease requiring dialysis, and diabetes mellitus due to incomplete examinations and potential new evidence.

The Board granted service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II. Service connection was denied for retinopathy and hypertension as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Veteran's asthma, sleep apnea, hypertension, high cholesterol, residuals of TBI, and migraine headaches have been reopened for further review.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including atrophy of left thigh muscles, cervical spine disorder, right and left knee patellar strains, right ankle disorder, left foot disorder, right great toe hallux valgus and hallux rigidus, obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), and diabetes mellitus. The Board found that the evidence did not establish a direct relationship between these conditions and service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, depression, and sleep apnea have been granted. The claim for hyperlipidemia is denied. The effective dates for the grants of service connection for residuals, anterior cruciate ligament repair, left knee, and degenerative changes, left knee are denied.

The appeal for soft tissue sarcoma is dismissed. Lumbar disc herniation service connection is granted. Hypertension and liver condition secondary to diabetes mellitus, type II are remanded. Bilateral hearing loss rating is also remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of a left ankle disorder was dismissed as the Veteran did not file a Notice of Disagreement (NOD).,VA denied the Veteran's tuberculosis claim in March 1996, and it became final. The Veteran has not submitted new and material evidence to reopen this claim.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to new evidence and exposure to contaminated water at Parris Island, South Carolina.

The Board has granted service connection for a depressive disorder, but denied service connection for coronary artery disease, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction.

The appeal for a rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee disability has been dismissed due to the Veteran's attorney requesting withdrawal. The appeals for service connection for hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea secondary to obsessive-compulsive disorder have been remanded as new evidence was submitted by the Veteran.

The Veteran's lung cancer and diabetes mellitus, type II, are granted service connection for purposes of accrued benefits.,The Veteran's cause of death due to adenocarcinoma of the lung is also granted.

The Board denied service connection for lumbar strain, finding that the Veteran's current condition is not related to her service.,Service connection was granted for tinnitus, with the Board considering continuity of symptomatology and resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims to reopen her service connection for hypertension and diabetes mellitus, as well as her request for an earlier effective date for a 10% disability rating for her surgical scar. The evidence submitted did not relate to facts necessary to support these claims.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and remanded the issue of service connection for hypertension.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension due to exposure in Vietnam, as well as its relationship to his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II and coronary artery disease. Additional evidence is needed to determine if these conditions are related.