Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and a compensable evaluation for hypertension due to unclear evidence regarding their onset during service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to incomplete examinations and lack of opinions regarding the etiology of his conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, sciatic nerve impairment, cervical spine disorder, and hypertension due to insufficient medical opinions and missing private treatment records.

Service connection for PTSD is granted. Service connection for hypertension and OSA are denied, as the evidence does not support a link to service or service-connected conditions. Service connection for chronic disability manifested by poor circulation, to include stasis dermatitis, is also denied.

The Board has remanded several claims, including those related to the Veteran's eye condition, hearing loss, tinnitus, blood in lungs and mouth (secondary to hypertension), heart condition, hypertension, nervous condition, and back disability. The appeals are being remanded due to incomplete records and inadequate opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, factor V Leiden defect (a clotting condition), and recurrent DVTs. The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 100% since the entire period on appeal.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to insufficient medical evidence. He will be provided with VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his respiratory disorder, hypertension, and peripheral neuropathy.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for cervical strain, right shoulder disability, hypertension, and PTSD as the appellant withdrew his appeal with respect to these issues prior to a decision being made.

Service connection for a left leg disability is granted. Service connection for a right hip disability, to include as secondary to service-connected low back disability, and tinnitus (to include as secondary to service-connected coronary artery disease or hypertension) are remanded.

The Board granted an increased rating of 20 percent for right upper extremity radiculopathy as of July 20, 2015. The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded to the Director, Compensation Service, for extraschedular consideration.

The Veteran's hypertension and diabetes mellitus claims are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for a higher level of special monthly compensation (SMC) is being remanded due to the addition of new evidence and the need to issue an SSOC.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and remanded his claims for bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between these conditions and his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has remanded the cases for further examination to determine if there is a relationship between the Veteran's current conditions and her active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and renal insufficiency, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his active duty service or any presumptive exposure to herbicides. The Board also found that the Veteran's hypertension did not aggravate his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II.

Service connection for diabetes, fibromyalgia, COPD, congestive heart failure, hypertension, sexual dysfunction (including erectile dysfunction), bladder cancer, and bilateral upper extremity neuropathy is denied.,The Veteran's service treatment records do not show any diagnosis or complaints related to these conditions. The Board found no evidence of in-service incurrence or aggravation for any of the claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and the service-connected disabilities (tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and malaria) are not shown to be related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus, erectile dysfunction, gout, acid reflux, liver condition, hypertension, carotid artery disease, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to service or secondary to service-connected disability. The Veteran is presumed exposed to herbicides during his active duty in Vietnam.

The Veteran's service connection claim for degenerative joint disease of the thoracolumbar spine is denied. A higher initial disability rating of 10 percent for hypertension is granted, but no higher. The claims for left lateral epicondylitis and laceration scar on the vertex of the scalp are both denied.

The Veteran's hypertension is currently rated at 10 percent, but the Board finds that his blood pressure readings are predominantly under 200 systolic and under 110 diastolic, which do not warrant a higher rating.