Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2019

The Veteran's claims for service connection for depression, pheochromocytoma, right ankle strain status post surgery with calcaneal spurring, tinnitus, and hypertension have been granted. The rating for right ankle strain status post surgery with calcaneal spurring is set at 10 percent.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea was incurred during service and the Board granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for hypertension and renal failure has been dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board denied service connection for dizziness, sleepwalking, and hypertension as new and material evidence was not received.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including schizoaffective disorder, depression, and a psychotic disorder) is also denied.

The Board has reopened the previously denied claims for service connection for a heart condition, hypertension, diabetes, and stroke. However, these claims are remanded to obtain verification of the Veteran's claimed exposure to herbicide agents in Guam and to provide an examination to determine if his conditions are related to this exposure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions regarding his hearing loss, sleep apnea, hypertension, ulcerative colitis, anemia, acne and boils (skin condition), and acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's depressive disorder and migraine headaches are related to his service-connected disabilities. The right upper extremity radiculopathy, hypogonadism status post testicle removal, osteoarthritis of the right ankle (previously rated as right foot talar cyst), left shoulder disorder, left and right elbow disorder, left and right hand disorder, left knee disorder, right knee disorder (secondary to service-connected right ankle disability), left ankle disorder, left foot disorder, right foot disorder (other than a talar cyst) (secondary to service-connected right ankle disability), left upper extremity radiculopathy (secondary to service-connected cervical spine disability), and sleep apnea are all granted. The effective dates for these grants have not been met.

The Veteran's hypertension, migraine headaches, PTSD and depressive disorder with pure dysthymic syndrome are all granted. The Veteran is awarded a 10 percent rating for his hypertension from June 9, 2017 to October 16, 2018. A 50 percent rating is granted for his migraine headaches during the same period. His PTSD and depressive disorder with pure dysthymic syndrome are rated at 50 percent throughout the appeal period. The Veteran's back disability, left knee condition, and TDIU claims are all remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various conditions, including low back disorder, bilateral leg disorder, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, schizoaffective disorder, and sleep apnea. Additional records are needed to support these claims.

The Veteran's cause of death, sudden cardiac death due to hypertensive cardiovascular disease and hypertension, was not related to service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and hypertension are all granted service connection as they had their onset during his military service.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted a 10 percent rating, effective January 5, 1982. The right hand residual burn scars are granted a 10 percent rating, effective January 5, 1982. The right forearm scar residuals are granted a 10 percent rating prior to June 12, 2018 and a 20 percent rating since that date. The right hand keratosis is granted a non-compensable rating.

The Board has denied the reopening of claims for service connection for sleep apnea, hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, PTSD, and an acquired psychiatric disability due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and the need for additional examinations. The appeals will be reconsidered after obtaining all necessary medical records and conducting further evaluations.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus, hammertoes, and DJD are granted service connection. Service connection for cervical spine disability is also granted, but the rating assigned is only 20 percent, which may not be sufficient given his symptoms. The issue of higher ratings for thoracolumbar spine disability remains pending.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection of hypertension and granted it, finding that the Veteran's current hypertension is at least as likely as not related to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for a mental disorder, diabetes, headaches, high blood pressure, and obstructive sleep apnea as there was no competent and credible evidence indicating that any of these conditions may be associated with service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension has been granted on a presumptive basis. The appeal to reopen the claim and grant an increased rating for left leg peripheral neuropathy, generalized anxiety disorder, and TDIU is remanded.

The Veteran's death was attributed to cardiopulmonary arrest due to bladder cancer. The Board has determined that the Veteran had a pre-existing diagnosis of hypertension, which must be evaluated for aggravation during service and etiology outside of service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension as they are incomplete due to missing Social Security Administration (SSA) records. The SSA records may provide evidence to substantiate his increased rating claim.