Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2019

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including anxiety disorder, is found to be etiologically related to his active service. The Board grants service connection for this condition.

This decision denies the Veteran's claims for service connection for basal cell carcinoma, psychiatric disability including PTSD, and hypertension. The claim for tinnitus is also remanded as it was not addressed in the previous rating decisions.,The initial compensable rating for tinea unguium has been included in the appeal.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and onychomycosis, bilateral feet. The decision found that there was no evidence of these conditions in service or within one year post-service, and that they were not related to exposure to herbicides.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for a right shoulder disability, hypertension (due to presumed herbicide exposure), and TDIU due to ongoing development needs.

The Veteran's appeal of the issue of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss was dismissed. The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraine headaches is granted, subject to the laws and regulations governing the award of monetary benefits. The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension is remanded.

The Veteran's IHD is rated at 100% prior to May 21, 2018. The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for hypertension and gangrene as secondary to his service-connected IHD.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for bilateral hearing loss, allergic rhinitis (claimed as sinusitis and allergies), and asthma. The remaining issues of service connection for various knee disabilities, hip disabilities, a left knee scar, arthritis with painful joints, gout, bladder cancer, prostate disability, erectile dysfunction, and hypertension are REMANDED.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for gout, hypertension, and sleep apnea due to a lack of VA examination. The claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability, including PTSD, depression, anxiety, and alcoholism is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the other issues.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and evaluations of various conditions have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of death due to lack of evidence linking any condition to service or a compensable degree within one year post-service discharge.

The Veteran's service-connected hypertension is granted a 10 percent rating, effective from the date of the decision. The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied as his disabilities do not render him unemployable.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain an addendum opinion from a medical professional regarding the etiology of the Veteran's sleep apnea, specifically whether it is at least as likely as not that his service-connected disabilities have caused or aggravated his sleep apnea.

The reduction of the rating for prostate cancer residuals from 60 percent to 40 percent, effective February 1, 2017, was improper. The Veteran's hypertension is also remanded for further evaluation.

The appeal is granted as the NOD received on April 17, 2015 was timely and contests the denial of service connection for spondylosis/spondylolisthesis, depression, sciatica/radiculopathy, hypertension, and total disability rating based upon individual unemployability.

The Veteran's left and right ear hearing loss were denied as there was no evidence of current hearing loss for VA purposes.,The Veteran's right ear hearing loss was also denied due to lack of evidence meeting the criteria for a disability for VA purposes.,Allergies, claimed as hay fever, service connection was remanded as there is insufficient medical evidence to determine if they are related to service.,Service connection for left shoulder disability, back disability, right knee disability, and right ankle disabilities were all remanded due to incomplete records and need for additional opinions.,Service connection for a heart disability (irregular heartbeat), hypertension, and allergies were also remanded as there is insufficient medical evidence to determine if they are related to service.,An initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for PTSD was denied and the Veteran's appeal must be returned to the Board for further consideration.

The Veteran's claims of entitlement to increased ratings for his service-connected lung disability, coronary artery disease, and depressive disorder are being remanded. Additionally, the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for hypertension and sleep apnea, both secondary to his service-connected lung disability, are also being remanded.

The Veteran's application to reopen his claim of service connection for sleep apnea was granted. His claims for increased ratings on left and right ankle DJD, hypertension, and for a chronic left knee disorder were denied. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder remains pending.

The Board has remanded several claims for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and scheduling VA examinations.

The Veteran's request to reopen the finally disallowed claim of entitlement to service connection for left knee condition has been granted. The claims for service connection for bulging disc in neck and lower back, hypertension, and allergic rhinitis (claimed as sinus condition and allergies) are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities, as well as hypertension, were denied. The Veteran was granted a TDIU effective July 1, 2014.