Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for heart disease, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension due to potential exposure to herbicide agents in service. Additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran served within the 12-nautical-mile territorial waters of the Republic of Vietnam during his service aboard the U.S.S. Hancock.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right shoulder condition and hypertension due to missing private treatment records. The Appellant is seeking a higher rating for these conditions, which are currently rated at 30% and 10%, respectively.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection of back pain and granted it. The claims for heart disability (hypertension) and stroke with left side weakness tremors, as secondary to hypertension, are denied. The claim for service connection of back disability, claimed as secondary to right knee disability, is remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted a rating of 100 percent, and the issues related to hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, and upper extremity neuropathy are remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's arthritis of the upper and lower extremities is not service-connected.,Osteoarthritis of the bilateral knees has been found to be related to service. The Veteran will receive a separate rating for this condition.,Service connection for hypertension, secondary to PTSD and herbicide exposure, is being remanded for further development.,The Veteran's skin rash disability is presumed to be related to herbicide exposure during service. Service connection for this condition is also being remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for glaucoma and ischemic heart disease has been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of these claims.,Tinnitus, diabetes mellitus type II, peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, and peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity have all been granted service connection. The Veteran's hypertension and a skin disability (to include chloracne) are being remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran incurred hypertension during his active duty service and within one year of discharge, and thus grants service connection for hypertension.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, scars of the head, face, and/or neck, hypertension, and total rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to additional evidence added to the record.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to new evidence being associated with his case and a need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's bladder cancer is not service-connected due to lack of evidence linking it to his military service. The hypertension and psychiatric disorders are remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected condition, and the cause of death (dementia) is not considered to be related to his military service.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including service connection for various disabilities and a rating in excess of 20 percent for Type II diabetes mellitus. The issues include psychiatric disability (PTSD), lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity neurological disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, right calf disability, left calf disability, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical evidence and need for further examination. The issues include bilateral cataracts, hypertension as secondary to DM2, and an acquired mental disorder other than PTSD.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, CAD, acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD), hypertension, malaise and fatigue, and GERD due to potential service connection issues. The Veteran's active duty service included exposure to noise in-service without protection.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed for the claims of increased ratings for hypertension and coronary artery disease, as well as service connection for erectile dysfunction. The Veteran's VA treatment records are to be obtained, and a supplemental examination is required.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence in some cases, and requests that additional treatment records be obtained. The Veteran is not granted service connection for all of his claimed conditions as more evidence is needed.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to errors in a previous decision and because of recent information from the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) indicating an association between hypertension and exposure to herbicide agents.

The claims of service connection for cervical and lumbar spine disorders, hearing loss, tinnitus, migraine headaches, heart disorder, and high blood pressure have been remanded due to the need for additional development.,New evidence has not reopened previously denied claims of service connection for a traumatic brain injury (TBI), blurry vision, and blepharospasm.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various disabilities, including cervical spine disability, back disability, bilateral foot disability, tinnitus, sleep disability, chest disability, diabetes mellitus (to include as secondary to herbicide exposure), TBI, hypertension, and bilateral lower extremity neuropathy have all been denied. The dental condition claim has also been referred for adjudication.

The Veteran's hepatitis C and hypertension claims are denied. The hypertension claim is remanded for further examination.