Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2019

The Veteran's claims for hypertension, valvular heart disease, cervical and lumbar spine disabilities, as well as upper extremity radiculopathies are being remanded due to the need for new examinations. The TDIU claim is also inextricably intertwined with these issues.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension and chronic kidney disease (CKD) due to a lack of sufficient medical evidence on file. The Veteran was exposed to herbicides during service, but there is limited or suggestive evidence linking hypertension to such exposure. A new examination is needed to determine if the Veteran’s conditions are related to his service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development regarding his skin disability and hypertension. The heart, left ear hearing loss, and tinnitus claims are denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension was incurred in service and is related to his diabetes, which he contends is due to herbicide exposure. As a result, the claim for service connection for hypertension is granted.

The Board has found that the Veteran's claims for higher ratings on neck disability, right knee disorder, PTSD, sinusitis, and hypertension are in need of further development due to the possibility of worsening since his last VA examinations. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it is intertwined with these rating claims.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for cause of death due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the Veteran's hypertension and its contribution to his death. The case will be reviewed after obtaining additional medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's hypertension is secondary to his service-connected seizure disorder.

Service connection is granted for diabetes mellitus, type II and prostate cancer to include as secondary to herbicide exposure.,Service connection is granted for eye disability (glaucoma) and skin disability to include service-connected disabilities or herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disorder and hypertension have been remanded due to the submission of new evidence that raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.

The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 40 percent for the appellant's low back disability, granted a 40 percent rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy, and denied ratings for other conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension, heart disability, hypothyroidism, bilateral lower extremity peripheral vascular disease, sleep apnea, and bilateral cataracts due to exposure to non-ionizing radiation from radar equipment. A VA examination is needed to determine if these conditions are related to service.

All service connection claims for various conditions have been dismissed.,The Veteran's tension headaches are granted as secondary to his service-connected orthopedic injuries and PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings, initial compensable rating, and initial rating in excess of 10 percent were dismissed due to the death of the Veteran. Service connection claims were also dismissed.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, type II (DMII), peripheral neuropathy, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, hypothyroidism, and retinopathy are being remanded due to the need to verify in-service herbicide agent exposure.,A new claim of service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder is also being remanded.

The Veteran's allergic rhinitis is not compensable as there are no polyps or significant nasal obstruction.,Bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome was not incurred during service and is not related to any in-service injury, event, or disease. The condition began many years after separation from active duty.,Obstructive sleep apnea was not diagnosed during service and the Veteran did not have a CPAP machine prescribed for this condition while on active duty.,Diabetic nephropathy with hypertension is not considered to be proximately due to, the result of, or aggravated beyond its natural progression by service-connected disability. The Veteran does not meet the requirement of presumed herbicide exposure as per 38 C.F.R. § 3.309(e).,Bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy is not considered to be proximately due to, the result of, or aggravated beyond its natural progression by service-connected disability.,Bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy is not considered to be proximately due to, the result of, or aggravated beyond its natural progression by service-connected disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of bilateral pes planus, right foot and toe cold weather injury (frostbite), hypertension, and muscle spasm with leg cramps to the right quad affecting the right knee are being remanded due to procedural errors.,The Veteran is not entitled to a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for tinnitus, diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension as secondary to diabetes mellitus type II, and diabetic retinopathy as secondary to diabetes mellitus type II due to unresolved medical questions. The Veteran's claims are not supported by evidence that his current conditions were incurred or aggravated during service.

The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension, left shoulder condition, and right ear hearing loss due to insufficient evidence of a nexus to service.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of hypertension and asthma for further development, as there is insufficient evidence to determine their relationship with service.

The Veteran is granted a total disability rating for compensation purposes based on individual unemployability from July 1, 2010 due to his service-connected PTSD, right knee condition, left knee condition, and hypertension.