Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the cause of the Veteran's death and his service-connected cold weather injuries. The claim for service connection for the cause of death is being remanded, as well as the pending claim for cold weather injuries.

The Board has denied service connection for ischemic heart disease, finding no current diagnosis of the condition. The Veteran's hypertension and thyroid disorder have been remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.,Further examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's hypertension and thyroid disorder are related to his military service or any service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's facet osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine with central canal and foraminal stenosis, tinea pedis (athlete's foot), and hypertension have been granted service connection.,Further examination is needed to determine if there are any residual issues from a shrapnel wound to the stomach.

The Veteran's claims for fibromyalgia and hypertension were denied, with the denial of fibromyalgia being final. The claim for hypertension was reopened but remains denied.,There is no current diagnosis of fibromyalgia in the record.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for service-connected hypertension is being remanded due to the need for additional VA medical records and an updated examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for major depressive disorder, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus due to the need for additional development including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's PTSD with alcohol abuse, liver disorder, IHD, left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, hypertensive heart disease, and hypertension are all denied. The Veteran is granted a TDIU effective January 29, 2015.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and diabetic peripheral neuropathy as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's hypertension is being remanded for a VA examination to determine if it is secondary to his service-connected DMII.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for hypertension and has remanded it for further development, including obtaining a medical opinion to determine if the Veteran's hypertension is related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension is denied.,Service connection granted for migraine headaches as aggravated by PTSD. The issue of a sleep disorder, to include sleep apnea, and Hepatitis C are both remanded for further examination and analysis.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's previously denied claims for service connection for hypertension and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The case is remanded to obtain additional medical records, including VA treatment records from Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Oklahoma City, and Chippewa Falls, as well as a Dr. Samuelson's 1979 record. A VA examiner will provide opinions on the likelihood of service connection for hypertension based on exposure to herbicides, whether it is related to service, and if it was caused or aggravated by his service-connected psychiatric disorder.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim of service connection for hypertension, as it requires additional medical opinions regarding the relationship between his hypertension and his military service, specifically whether it is related to Agent Orange exposure or if it was caused by his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection were dismissed due to his withdrawal of the claims. The Veteran was granted a 10 percent rating for hypertension.

The Veteran's appeals for hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and a dental condition have been dismissed due to withdrawal of the appeals by the Veteran.,The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a heart disability has been denied as there is no evidence of such disability during or in proximity to the appeal period.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus, Type 2 with erectile dysfunction, hypertension, and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy. The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to allow for further evaluation of these conditions due to the Veteran's contentions regarding the adequacy of the VA examinations and his complaints of worsening symptoms.

The Veteran's hypertension was noted on his entrance examination and did not increase in severity during service. The Board finds the medical opinion of record to be more probative than the Veteran’s lay assertions regarding the etiology and severity of his hypertension.,An addendum opinion is needed to determine if the Veteran's pre-existing skin condition existed prior to service, was aggravated by service, or is related to in-service symptomatology.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death, finding that there was no evidence showing that any service-connected disability caused or contributed to his death. The Veteran's cause of death was listed as massive upper gastrointestinal bleeding due to esophageal and gastric varices, and hepatitic C cirrhosis with portal hypertension.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and hypertension were denied as there was no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicide agents, the conditions did not manifest within one year after separation from service, and there is insufficient medical nexus evidence linking these conditions to service.