Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of substantial compliance with its previous remand directives regarding the relationship between hypertension and presumed herbicide exposure, as well as the aggravation by service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's hypertension was first diagnosed in service and is at least as likely as not related to service. The Board granted the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus type 2 is found to be the primary cause of his COPD, coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease of both lower extremities, and hypertension. The initial rating for diabetes mellitus type 2 has been granted at 20 percent.

The Veteran's cause of death was due to essential (primary) hypertension, which is not service-connected. The Board found no evidence linking the hypertension to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic allergies, sinusitis/rhinitis, and hypertension. The Board found that the Veteran's chronic allergies preexisted his military service and were not aggravated by it. The Board also determined that hypertension was not caused or aggravated by the claimed chronic allergies.

The Veteran's hypertension and hypothyroidism were not shown to be related to service, and the effective dates for tinnitus and degenerative disc disease, L4-L5, L5-S1, are denied.,Service connection for tinnitus and degenerative disc disease, L4-L5, L5-S1, is granted with an effective date of September 15, 2014. However, the Veteran's claims for higher ratings and earlier effective dates remain pending.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, finding no evidence to support a link between the condition and military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, COPD, acne, residuals of sebaceous cyst removal, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities as related to Agent Orange exposure due to a lack of medical opinion regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and erectile dysfunction as there was no evidence of these conditions during or within one year after service, and the medical opinions provided by VA physicians found that the conditions were not caused or aggravated by service-connected diabetes mellitus and/or posttraumatic stress disorder.

Your appeal for service connection for hypertension has been dismissed because you withdrew your request to continue the appeal.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and bruxism due to insufficient medical opinions addressing secondary aggravation.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's hypertension and acquired psychiatric disability (PTSD) are related to his military service, specifically due to PTSD. The case is being sent back for further examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical evidence and an incomplete record review. The Veteran's hypertension is being reviewed for possible secondary service connection with his asbestosis.

The Veteran's hypertension and coronary artery disease were not incurred or aggravated by service, as there is no evidence of such conditions during his active duty. The Board also found that the diagnoses are not within one year of separation from service.,For the left knee disability, the Veteran has been granted a temporary total rating due to convalescence following a total knee replacement from October 13, 2015, through December 1, 2016. The claim for an increased rating is denied.

The Veteran's disabilities do not meet the criteria for special monthly pension based on need for aid and attendance or housebound status.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to determine if his conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as new and material evidence was not submitted to reopen the claims. The Board found that there is no link between any of the disabilities and active duty service.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, hypertension (to include as secondary to diabetes), and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or service-connected disabilities.,Service connection was not granted for tinnitus because there is no credible evidence that it began in service or is related to noise exposure. The Board found no current diagnosis of tinnitus, and the Veteran's statements about hearing ringing in his ears since service were deemed less than credible given the lack of documentation prior to 2011.,For hypertension, the Board noted the Veteran's long-term use of medication and good control over blood pressure, as well as the absence of any symptoms or diagnosis before 1982. The VA examiner opined that diabetes did not cause or aggravate hypertension, and there was no evidence of early-onset peripheral neuropathy due to herbicide exposure.,Regarding peripheral neuropathy, the Board found no current diagnosis in the Veteran's medical records, despite his testimony about symptoms since shortly after service. The VA examination conducted in 2012 did not reveal any signs or symptoms of peripheral neuropathy.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and examination. The Veteran's hypertension claim needs a VA medical opinion to determine if it pre-existed service or was aggravated by service, while his left knee disorder claim requires an addendum opinion to address whether any current condition is related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including CAD and DM with hypertension and ED, as well as associated peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities and scar from CABG surgery, are restored effective March 1, 2015.