Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2019

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and initial disability rating have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and opinions regarding his service-connected conditions, specifically hypertension, bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and vertigo.

The Veteran's hypertension, blood clots, aneurysm with stroke, seizure disorder, memory impairment, depressive disorder, sleep disorder, nerve pain, kidney disorder, and anemia are not service-connected.,Tinnitus was also denied as service-connected.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional development and consideration of new evidence. The effective dates for PTSD and headaches remain denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, erectile dysfunction, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and depression were denied. The Veteran was granted a 10 percent rating for lumbar disc degeneration status post fusion, left knee patellofemoral syndrome, and right knee patellofemoral syndrome. The Veteran's claims for initial ratings in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus, disability ratings in excess of 50 percent for sleep apnea with insomnia, and disability ratings in excess of 10 percent for hypertension were denied.,The Veteran was not granted service connection for right ear hearing loss or erectile dysfunction. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further evaluation due to new theories of entitlement regarding exposure to ionized radiation during active duty.

The Veteran's hypertension has been evaluated as noncompensable. The Board finds no evidence of a history of diastolic pressure predominantly 100 or more, current diastolic pressure predominantly 100, or current systolic pressure of predominantly 160 or more. As such, the Veteran is not entitled to a compensable initial rating for hypertension at any time during the appeal period.

The Board has remanded the claims for emphysema, COPD, and hypertension due to inadequate opinions in the November 2018 VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hepatitis C, diabetes mellitus type 2, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, anxiety, and depression due to outstanding service treatment records not being available. The Veteran is presumed to have had these conditions during his military service.

The Veteran's death was caused by hepatocellular carcinoma, with other significant conditions including hepatitis B, liver cirrhosis, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, and portal hypertension. The claim is remanded to determine if the Veteran served in Thailand or Vietnam and whether his service-connected disabilities contributed to his death.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for depression, anxiety, and migraine headaches have been granted. The claim for insomnia was denied. Service connection has also been established for a left wrist disorder.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, is presumed related to his exposure to herbicide agents while serving in Thailand. The issue of hypertension as secondary to diabetes mellitus remains remanded for further development.

The Veteran's high cholesterol, acquired psychiatric disorders (including PTSD, anxiety, and depression), astigmatism and refractive error of the eyes, frequent urination, crescentic IgA nephropathy with congenital left atrophic kidney condition, right knee disability, left ear hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, sleep apnea, hypertension, and acid reflux are all denied as service connection. The Veteran's character of discharge for his period of active service from March 2007 to April 2012 is a bar to VA benefits.,The Veteran was not diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder or multiple personality disorder during his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a back strain, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, ischemic heart disease (also claimed as coronary stent placement), and neurological disorder have been denied. The claim for a rating of 100 percent for schizophrenia has been granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension and kidney cancer, finding that they are inextricably intertwined with his other pending claims. The claims will be further developed to address the etiology and date of onset of these conditions.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petition to reopen his claims for service connection for sleep apnea, hypertension, and depression. The issues of service connection for these conditions are now remanded for further development.

The Veteran's increased PTSD rating and service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, heart disorder, and hypertension have all been denied. The Board found that the current evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating or service connection for any of these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for urethral strictures and remanded the issue of service connection for hypertension, to include as secondary to a service-connected disability.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, bilateral arm pain (claimed as cysts), low back pain, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The Board found that there was no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and her military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's hypertension is secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type 2.