Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2019

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for neck disability, bilateral knee disability, and lower back disability. The Board has also remanded the issues of service connection for hypertension and prostate condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased rating, hypertension service connection, back disorder service connection, and deviated nasal septum service connection are not ready for appellate review due to a lack of a Statement of the Case. The case is therefore REMANDED.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding his hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and related conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for watery eyes, obstructive sleep apnea, a cardiac disability, hypertension, asthma, and an acquired psychiatric disability (likely PTSD) are not supported by the evidence of record. The Board finds additional development is needed to address these issues.

Service connection is granted for capsulitis of the TMJs and hypertension. Service connection is denied for sleep apnea, IHD/CAD (Ischemic Heart Disease/Coronary Artery Disease), sternal manubrial dissociation with nonunion and atrial fibrillation.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there is no evidence of in-service incurrence or chronicity within one year from separation. The issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including bipolar disorder) and obstructive sleep apnea have been remanded due to incomplete development.,The issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are also remanded.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran was found not to have a current diagnosis of hypertension, and his hearing loss did not meet the criteria for a higher than 0 percent rating.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient information regarding the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during his service aboard the U.S.S. Sioux, and because a decision on diabetes mellitus could impact the secondary service connection claims.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for primary pulmonary hypertension and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis due to insufficient evidence regarding exposure to asbestos or herbicides during active service. Additional development is needed, including verification of reported exposures and obtaining necessary VA examinations.

The Veteran's hypertension is being remanded for further examination and opinion as the VA examiner did not consider important medical history, including evidence of pre-existing hypertension.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for various conditions, including tendonitis and COPD, due to herbicide exposure. The VA will need to obtain a supplemental medical opinion to determine if these conditions are related to the Veteran's presumed exposure during active duty.

Service connection for asthma, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities is denied.,An effective date prior to February 24, 2015 for service connection for tinnitus is denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's claimed disabilities. The claims will be further evaluated based on the current medical and lay evidence.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including degenerative arthritis of the thoracic spine, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, calcified nodules in the left lung, ischemic heart disease, and hypertension. The reasons given were lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or any presumptive exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for hypertension, migraine headaches (secondary to chronic sinusitis), and bilateral foot tinea pedis require additional development due to inadequate medical opinions and missing records.

The Board found that a rating in excess of 50 percent for obstructive sleep apnea is not warranted and remanded the issues related to left knee strain, unspecified depressive disorder, shin splints, maxillary sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, hypertension, and tinea corporis. The Veteran's service connection claims are pending.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a neck disability and hypertension have been reopened. The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen these claims. However, the claims are still being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee condition, hypertension, and right knee condition (secondary to a left knee condition) due to unclear pre-service status of these conditions and inextricability with the right knee claim.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to inadequate opinions regarding service connection. The case will be returned for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome as due to an undiagnosed illness was denied because there were no objective findings of the condition and it did not meet the criteria for a diagnosis.,Service connection for hypertension was also denied as there was no evidence showing that the condition manifested within the applicable presumptive period or during service.