Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2019

The Board dismissed the Veteran's claims of service connection and increased ratings for hypertension, rectal sphincter control, hemorrhoids, left ear hearing loss, low back arthritis, and bilateral ankle arthritis. The claim for a higher rating for depressive disorder was denied.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and a TDIU have been dismissed as he has requested to withdraw his appeal.

The Veteran's hypertension is rated at 10 percent since the beginning of the appeal period, as it meets the criteria for a history of diastolic blood pressure predominantly 100 or more requiring continuous medication.

The Board has determined that DIC benefits are not warranted due to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD not meeting the criteria for total disability rating for 10 or more years immediately preceding death. The cause of death is remanded as there is insufficient evidence regarding whether the service-connected PTSD caused or contributed substantially to the Veteran's death.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including right shoulder disorder, left shoulder disorder, cervical spine disorder, thoracolumbar spine disorder, right hip disorder, left hip disorder, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, muscle spasms, sleep apnea, and hypertension.,No new evidence was presented to reopen previously denied claims.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for heart disorder, hypertension, and pregnancy related disorders due to additional development being required.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension, erectile dysfunction, bilateral foot fungus, and urticaria (claimed as chloracne) due to exposure to herbicide agents. The AOJ is instructed to obtain all relevant service records and provide new opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for depression, prostate cancer, right hip disability, arthritis, eczema, elbow disability, gout, hypertension, and bilateral hand and foot neurological disabilities have been denied as there is no evidence of these conditions during or after the period of service.,Service connection cannot be granted because the Veteran has not provided any medical or other evidence linking his current diagnoses to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, tinnitus, and heart disease/disorder have all been denied.,Service connection has been granted for sleep apnea secondary to anxiety disorder and headaches secondary to anxiety disorder.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.,The Veteran's left knee disability claim is also being remanded as a VA examination is needed to assess its relationship to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to exposure to herbicide agents, as there are incomplete records and a need to obtain additional medical evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development and examination.

The Veteran's claims for hepatitis C, low back disability, left hand disability (to include carpal tunnel syndrome), hypertension, and diabetes have all been denied. The Board found that the submitted evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional information and evidence.,Service connection is being considered for various conditions, including a right ankle strain, bilateral hearing loss, obesity, syrinx of thoracolumbar spine, cervical spine disability (including syrinx), hypertension, and left arm numbness.

The Veteran's kidney cancer and hypertension are being remanded for further examination to determine if they are related to his presumed Agent Orange exposure. The thoracic aortic aneurysm service connection claim is also being remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the hypertension claim.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for an increased rating for hypertension. The claim of service connection for erectile dysfunction is being remanded due to inadequate previous VA opinion.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension, and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities are all granted as service connected. The Board found that these conditions were related to his military service or due to his service-connected diabetes.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus with mild bilateral non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy was restored to a 60 percent rating effective September 1, 2012. The TDIU claim is denied as the combined disability rating remains at 100 percent.

The Board is unable to decide the claims due to missing medical records and requires additional development, including obtaining treatment records from the Manistique, MI CBOC and gathering employment information for the TDIU claim.

The Veteran's cause of death was due to multiple conditions, none of which were service-connected. The Board denied the claim for service connection and DIC benefits.