Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2018

The Veteran's appeals for renal insufficiency, aortic aneurism, hypertension, and peripheral neuropathy have been dismissed. Service connection has been granted for diabetes mellitus type II associated with herbicide exposure, as well as peripheral artery disease and scars secondary to DMII.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and type II diabetes mellitus, but reopened the claim for unspecified joint pain (to include as due to undiagnosed illness).,Service connection was not granted for hypertension or type II diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's hypertension and optic atrophy of the left eye were not found to be related to service, including as due to herbicide agent exposure. The Board denied both claims for service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension did not begin in service, was not related to his military service or herbicide exposure, and is not caused by his service-connected diabetes mellitus. Therefore, service connection for hypertension cannot be granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unemployable throughout the period under consideration, and a TDIU rating is granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and a need for a thorough medical opinion regarding the nature and cause of the Veteran's heart disability.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension for accrued benefits purposes, finding that the evidence is in relative equipoise as to whether the Veteran's hypertension was linked to his active service.,The Board has also granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to heart failure, finding that the evidence is in relative equipoise as to whether the Veteran's death is causally related to his service-connected hypertension.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension is being remanded due to inadequate examination and incomplete analysis. The case will be returned to the Board for further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate consideration of evidence and need for a new VA examination.

The Board has determined that there is insufficient evidence to establish service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, or hypertension. The Veteran's claims are denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension has not manifested in a diastolic pressure predominantly 100 or more, systolic pressure predominantly 160 or more, or a history of diastolic pressure predominantly 100 requiring continuous medication for control. As such, an initial compensable rating for hypertension is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II and hypertension were not incurred in service.,Service connection for both conditions was denied as there is no evidence of their occurrence during active duty.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are denied as there is no credible evidence of Agent Orange exposure, and the conditions claimed are not shown to be related to his active military service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and clarifying the relationship of a statement from Dr. J.M.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to the Veteran's authorized representative requesting withdrawal of the appeal.

The Veteran's bilateral leg disorder, diagnosed as bilateral lower extremity muscle cramps, is related to service.,The Veteran's lumbar spine disorder, which has been diagnosed as degenerative arthritis, is not related to any injury, disease, or event incurred in service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed eye disability, including photophobia, is not service-connected. The evidence does not establish a direct link between his in-service allergy symptoms and current ocular hypertension. The Board also found no causal relationship to any chemical exposure during service.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed gastrointestinal, genitourinary, and neurological disabilities, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus to his military service or herbicide exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current diagnosis of hypertension is related to his in-service exposure to herbicide agents, specifically Agent Orange. The decision grants service connection for this condition.