Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2018

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including left knee and low back pain, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction, resulted in a combined rating of 40 percent. The Board found that the Veteran met the schedular criteria for TDIU from February 23, 2018 to March 29, 2018.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease, finding that the appellant's hypertension during service is a recognized chronic disease and his current coronary artery disease developed as part of this condition.

The Veteran's irritable bowel syndrome has been granted service connection. Service connection for fibromyalgia, acid reflux, and other conditions have been denied.

The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal, and the Board dismissed it due to lack of an active appeal.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and granted. The Board found that the evidence established a current disability, continuity of symptomatology since service, and a nexus between the claimed in-service injury or disease and the current condition.,Service connection has been granted for obstructive sleep apnea as it is related to active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of hypertension as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus due to insufficient evidence showing that hypertension was caused or permanently aggravated by diabetes.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for headaches, an eating disorder/obesity, a left knee disorder and an acquired psychiatric disorder have been denied. However, the claims for these conditions have been reopened due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran.,Service connection has been granted for hypertension.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and hypertension, finding no evidence of a nexus to service. The Veteran's claim for benign prostatic hypertrophy with a history of chronic prostatitis is remanded due to lack of an examination in the most recent VA examination.,Service connection was not granted for coronary artery disease and percutaneous coronary intervention as there was insufficient evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's service-connected multinodular goiter, status post thyroidectomy, is currently rated as 30 percent disabling. The Board has remanded the case for a new examination to determine whether the Veteran suffers from residuals that could be independently rated under the new criteria and for opinions on the etiology of her hypertension and endocrine disability.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for alcohol abuse, an increased rating for anxiety disorder, and a TDIU due to unresolved issues. The skin disorder claim was reopened based on new evidence submitted since the last denial.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including tinnitus and a heart condition other than hypertension, were denied. The claim for service connection for a dental condition was also denied. Service connection for residuals of a left elbow fracture is remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for continued payment of SMC at the housebound rate as he did not meet the statutory requirements for one service-connected disability rated as 100% and separate disabilities rated at 60% or higher, nor was he permanently housebound by reason of service-connected disability or disabilities.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as presumptively related to herbicide exposure. The claims for scrotal cellulitis and perineal ulcers, and PTSD are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims for service connection of a left hip condition, left knee condition, lung conditions (including asthma and bronchitis), and hypertension. The issues have been remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include unspecified anxiety disorder, is granted.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a prostate condition, to include prostate cancer, is granted.,Service connection for a sleep condition is denied.,Service connection for a cervical spine disability is denied.,Service connection for a lumbar spine disability is denied.,Service connection for hypertension is denied.,Service connection for rocky mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is denied.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and lumbar spine disability, finding that the Veteran did not have a current disability during the period of active service or within one year after separation. The evidence showed no treatment for these conditions in service and only occasional mentions of elevated blood pressure readings.

The Board denied service connection for a sinus disability and hypertension, finding that the conditions pre-existed military service and did not worsen during service.,Service connection was also denied for hypertension as secondary to medications.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including those for diabetes mellitus, type II and its complications, as well as various eye disabilities, heart conditions, peripheral neuropathy, and psychiatric disorders. The remand is due to the need to verify the Veteran’s reported exposure to herbicides while in Panama.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a skin rash other than prurigo nodularis, and for increased ratings for hypertension with headaches and prurigo nodularis of the arms and hands were denied. The Veteran was granted a certificate of eligibility for financial assistance for the purchase of automobile adaptive equipment due to his service-connected lower extremity neuropathy.

The Veteran's hypertension is remanded for further examination and opinion to determine its onset, relationship to service, and whether it is caused or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.