Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2018

The Veteran's hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea were both found to have onset during service, leading to their grant of service connection. The Board also granted remand for further examination on the left knee disability and pes planus with plantar fasciitis.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, heart disorder, and hypertension as they are not related to the veteran's military service. The character of discharge due to willful and persistent misconduct bars VA benefits for this period.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a bilateral knee condition, respiratory condition, high blood pressure, skin condition, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (other than schizophrenia). The reasons are to obtain missing personnel records and service treatment records.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for sleep apnea, hypertension, and numbness/tingling of the hands due to incomplete information in the VA examinations. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, and effective dates of December 1, 2009 have been established for all conditions. The appeal was accepted as a timely notice of disagreement with the January 2010 rating decision.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and diabetic neuropathy have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment since October 27, 2010.

The Board has dismissed all the issues related to service connection and rating for hypertension, lumbar spine disorder, PTSD, and TDIU due to the death of the appellant.

The Veteran's service-connected hypertension is currently rated at 10 percent, but the Board found no evidence to support a higher rating as there were only two instances where diastolic pressure was over 110 and systolic pressure was over 200. The preponderance of the evidence does not warrant an increase in the rating.

The Veteran's hypertension and right breast mass were not incurred in or related to her military service.,Her right ovarian cyst status post laparoscopy was also not incurred in or related to her military service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected narcolepsy. The issue of reopening the claim for service connection for hypertension, which was previously denied in 2011 and remanded here, is also allowed.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection of PTSD, an acquired psychiatric condition including PTSD, diabetes mellitus type 2, and hypertension as secondary to PTSD or diabetes mellitus type 2 due to the death of the appellant.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for various conditions have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal. The Board also remanded several issues including service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, DDD/DJD of the lumbar spine, erectile dysfunction, bilateral knee and leg disorders, and TDIU.

The Veteran's application to reopen a claim of service connection for tinea pedis was granted. Service connection is denied for tinea pedis, residuals of TBI, hypertension, and shin splints. The claims for residuals of TBI, hypertension, and shin splints are remanded.

The Veteran's depressive disorder is granted as service connected, but the other conditions and issues are not.

The Veteran's alcohol dependence, hypertension, and liver disease (steatohepatitis) are all found to be secondary to his service-connected adjustment disorder with depressed mood. The separate claim for an anxiety disorder is dismissed.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need to obtain his service treatment records from Afghanistan and provide him with a VA examination regarding his claimed disabilities, including back pain, shortness of breath, fatigue/sleep disorder, chest pain, hypertension, heartburn, low testosterone, skin rashes, migraines/nausea/vertigo, and memory loss. The examiner must consider the Veteran's exposure to burn pits in Afghanistan.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for heart disability, hypertension, sleep apnea, and fibromyalgia have been denied as there is no evidence of a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 30% prior to March 7, 2014 and at 50% thereafter. The Board has remanded the case for an addendum opinion regarding hypertension. Service connection for PTSD and hypertension are not granted.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions have been denied. The appeal to restore the rating for cervical spine DDD has been granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to an error in not requiring a VA examination for hypertension, which may be related to service. The Veteran's representative argues that this issue should be addressed.