Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2019

The Board has reopened the Veteran's service connection claims for low back disability, hypertension, and lung disability (positive tuberculosis). The claims are remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to a lack of proper consideration and factual inaccuracies in the previous reports. The Veteran's conditions are related to exposure to ionizing radiation during service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral pseudophakia, hypertension, and benign prostatic hypertrophy due to inadequate medical opinions regarding their etiology. The AOJ is instructed to obtain new medical opinions addressing whether these conditions began during active service or are related to herbicide exposure, as well as whether they were caused by or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus type II and heart conditions, due to a lack of evidence of herbicide exposure during service. The Veteran's claims were not granted as the preponderance of the evidence did not support his assertions of herbicide exposure or causation.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for updated medical opinions regarding the service connection of hypertension, specifically whether it is caused or aggravated by service-connected diabetes and/or PTSD.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a lung disability, bilateral eye disability, hypertension, diabetes, and initial compensable hearing loss rating due to potential new evidence and need for further examination.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for arteriosclerosis with hypertension and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 7005 or 7101, and his condition does not affect his ability to work.

The Board has granted an effective date of November 4, 2015 for the combined rating of 100 percent due to service-connected disabilities and has also granted special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for COPD and hypertension due to lack of a VA opinion on their etiology, as well as outstanding VA treatment records that need to be obtained.

The Veteran's claims for left arm injury, residuals of right hand fracture, degenerative arthritis of the left hand, TBI, type II diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol), bilateral eye disability and cataracts, hypertension, left foot disability, right foot disability, obstructive sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, and acquired psychiatric disability have all been denied.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for these conditions are not supported by the evidence of record.

The Board has decided that additional development is needed to determine the Veteran's hypertension rating, as some relevant medical records are missing.

The Board has denied the Veteran's service connection claims for COPD and a right shoulder disability. The hypertension claim is remanded due to a duty to assist error.,Service connection for COPD, lung fungus, was denied as there was insufficient evidence of a nexus between current diagnosis and in-service pneumonia.

The Veteran's hypertension is rated at 60% since April 17, 2017. Her post-operative hysterectomy with anemia and uterine fibroids is rated at 30%. The hypertension rating remains unchanged from the previous decision.

The Board denied service connection for skin cancer and remanded the issues of hypertension and erectile dysfunction, both related to exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for glaucoma due to new and material evidence. The claims for service connection for hypertension, glaucoma, and syncope are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus has been withdrawn. His skin disorder claim is reopened, but his heart murmur and hypertension claims are denied.,His right foot disability claim is remanded due to insufficient evidence of a current disability related to service or secondary to a service-connected condition. His skin disorder claim (presumed due to exposure to smoke and burning oil from refineries in Southwest Asia) is also remanded for further examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's erectile dysfunction is at least as likely as not aggravated by his service-connected disabilities, and thus grants service connection for this aggravation.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension on the basis that it was aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected hypothyroidism.

Service connection is denied for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, coronary artery disease, and hypertension as they are not related to service or exposure to toxic herbicide agents.,Service connection is denied for coronary artery disease and hypertension as they are not related to service or exposure to toxic herbicide agents.

The Veteran's hypertension is currently diagnosed and service connected. However, the Board has not provided a VA examination to determine if it is related to his service-connected PTSD or TBI. The case is being remanded for this purpose.