Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2019

The Board denied service connection for COPD, Sleep Apnea, HTN, DM, TBI, and Bilateral Neuropathy due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to active military service.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee bursitis and remanded the issues of service connection for right rotator cuff tear, plantar fasciitis, and hypertension. The Veteran's claims for these conditions are currently pending.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations. The issues of service connection for back condition, hyperlipidemia, acquired psychiatric disorder, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, left lower extremity PAD, and right lower extremity PAD remain on appeal.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, a heart disability (to include ischemic heart disease), hypertension, and diabetes mellitus. The claims are being remanded to obtain additional medical evidence.,The Veteran is not entitled to service connection for any of these conditions as there is no credible evidence that they began during active duty or are otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.

The Veteran's hypertension is being remanded for further evaluation due to the lack of a VA opinion on its relationship to service, specifically his presumed exposure to herbicide agents. The examiner must also assess whether his hypertension was caused or aggravated by his service-connected ischemic heart disease.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for hypertension, finding that the Veteran's blood pressure readings did not consistently meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 7101.

The Veteran's dizziness, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, dysthymic disorder, and toothache are all granted service connection. The Veteran's residuals of a right-hand fracture, migraine headaches, and eye irritation are denied.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for service connection due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his claims and subsequent submission of new evidence.

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to a compensable rating for post traumatic headaches, an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for bilateral hand tremors, and entitlement to TDIU due to incomplete development.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for low back disorder, radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve in the left lower extremity, and radiculopathy of the femoral nerve in the left lower extremity has been granted with an effective date of May 12, 2015.

The Board denied service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, left ankle condition, left foot condition, jaw condition, and skin disorder (to include psoriasis and tinea pedis) as the evidence did not support a finding of a qualifying chronic disability under 38 U.S.C. § 1117 or 38 C.F.R. § 3.317.,The Board also denied service connection for hypertension, stating that there was no objective evidence of a qualifying chronic disability and the Veteran's hypertension did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period.

The Board has dismissed all claims for service connection and increased ratings, as the Veteran withdrew his claims in writing.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to inadequate opinions in previous examinations and to determine the etiology of the Veteran's conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and denied a separate compensable rating for cataracts associated with diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, hypertension, ED, sleep apnea, and unspecified sleep disorders have all been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the required criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD or any of these conditions.,Service connection was denied as there is no medical evidence showing a current diagnosis of PTSD or any of the other conditions.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as service-connected. The sleep apnea and skin disorder (including melanoma) claims are remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection were partially denied. His hypertension was not rated higher than 10%, his tension headaches did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating, and his right ankle disorder could not be linked to service due to lack of evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected sinusitis, rhinitis, bronchitis, obstructive sleep apnea, heart disorder, and hypertension may be related to his military service in Southwest Asia. The Board finds that additional evidence is needed to support this determination.

The Veteran's claims have been dismissed due to their death.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of tinnitus, hypertension, and back condition due to withdrawal by the Veteran during a videoconference hearing. The claim for back condition was denied as there is no evidence that it manifested in service or was aggravated therein.