Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2018

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as due to Agent Orange exposure and secondary to service-connected coronary artery disease.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including sleep apnea, glaucoma, cataracts and presbyopia, orthostatic dizziness (vertigo), hypertension, and acid reflux. The claims are also being remanded for a rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and low back disorder as the medical evidence did not support a nexus between these conditions and service.

The Veteran's claims for heart disease, hypertension, hip disabilities, low back disability, left eye disability, gastrointestinal disability, and prostate disorder are all denied as there is no evidence of a current diagnosis or service connection.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of bilateral foot disability, hypertension, sleep apnea, and cervical spine disability.,New evidence submitted since previous final denial does not establish a new or material fact to reopen any of these claims.

The Board has ordered a direct service connection opinion for the Veteran's hypertension, as it was not provided in the previous remand.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for obesity was denied as obesity is not a disease or injury for VA compensation purposes.,The effective date of the grant of service connection for tinnitus was fixed at August 28, 2014, which is the date of the Veteran's original claim.,Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea was denied due to lack of evidence linking it to service or a service-connected disability.,Service connection for hypertension was denied as there is no evidence showing that hypertension began during service or is related to a service-connected disability.,Service connection for mesenteric ischemia was denied because the Veteran's current condition does not appear to be linked to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for coronary artery disease with congestive heart failure, sleep apnea, hypertension, and major depressive disorder have been denied.,The Veteran's claim of entitlement to an earlier effective date for the award of service-connected right thigh muscle injury has been granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, tinnitus, and a respiratory disorder (claimed as asbestosis) is partially granted. The claims of service connection for fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), chronic headaches, sleep apnea, and psychiatric disorders are all remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection was granted on February 1, 1995. The effective date is set to February 1, 1995.

The Veteran's application to reopen the previously denied claim for service connection for tinnitus was denied.,Service connection for unspecified anxiety disorder and migraine headaches is granted.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder, lung disorder, hypertension, liver disorder, GERD, and diabetes mellitus type II. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to military service.

The Board denied service connection for a back disability and granted a 10 percent rating for hallux valgus of the right foot. The claim for hypertension was remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to have originated during service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition. Service connection for hyperlipidemia is denied as it does not constitute a disability warranting compensation. The issues of bilateral hearing loss, erectile dysfunction, sleep apnea, hypertension, sinusitis, and pulmonary fibrosis are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has determined that the $69,480.00 check sent to the Veteran in April 2009 was issued in error after his death and needs to be returned. The appellant is seeking accrued benefits for this amount but needs to provide proof of where the funds were routed after they were reclaimed from the bank.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for allergic rhinitis, hypertension, and dermatitis (formerly called folliculitis of the scalp) have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's claims for left knee disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and hypertension were denied as they are not related to service. The Board found no evidence of in-service injury or exposure that could support a finding of service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension with cardiomyopathy was denied as there was no earlier informal or formal claim. The appeal of the recoupment of special separation benefit (SSB) in the amount of $73,383.98 is dismissed.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for diabetes mellitus was denied, with the Board finding that the disability did not meet or approximate criteria warranting a higher than 20 percent rating prior to December 17, 2015 and in excess of 40 percent thereafter.,A compensable rating (10%) was granted for headaches associated with hypertension. The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for MDD and PTSD from August 11, 2009 until February 23, 2012 was granted, with a maximum of 50 percent.,The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for MDD and PTSD from February 23, 2012 to April 17, 2017 was granted at the maximum schedular rating (70%), based on occupational and social impairment due to deficiencies in most areas.

The Veteran was denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, ASHD, ED, OSA, and MDD. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of in-service exposure to herbicide agents.,Service connection for Parkinson's disease was also remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding its onset during active duty.