Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the cases for additional medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's hypertension and diabetes mellitus are related to his service aboard the USS Enterprise.

The Board has decided that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of lung cancer, hypertension, or heart attack related to service. The claim for respiratory disorder is remanded as there are insufficient medical records to determine its onset and relationship to service.

The Board has granted service connection for major depressive disorder with anxious distress, sleep apnea, and tension headaches as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities. The rating of 20% is assigned for each condition.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded the issues of service connection for anxiety disorder, sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination due to the need for a new evaluation of the Veteran's carotid artery blockage, as well as potential TDIU issues.

The Board denied service connection for a heart disorder other than rheumatic valvular disease and hypertension, finding that the preponderance of evidence did not support these claims.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but the case is remanded to obtain inpatient treatment records from Fort Campbell during the Veteran's heat stroke hospitalization.

The Board has decided that the claims for service connection for hypertension and an eye disability, to include as secondary to hypertension, need further development. The Veteran will be provided with VA examinations regarding these conditions.

The Board has remanded several service connection claims for further development due to inadequate VA examinations and opinions. The Veteran's conditions include strokes, transient ischemic attacks, memory loss, fibromyalgia (claimed as Desert Storm Syndrome), chest pain, joint pain and swelling, hemoptysis, hypertension, neck pain, mouth sores, body sores, migraines, sleep disorder, fatigue, sinusitis (claimed as nose bleeds), bronchitis (claimed as shortness of breath). The claims are related to service in the Gulf War.

The Veteran's hypertension and headaches are granted service connection.,Service connection for fatigue disability, vesicular dermatitis, gastrointestinal disorder, sleep apnea, joint pain, and muscle pain is denied.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and hypothyroidism before the Board could make a decision.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, low back disorder, TIA/migraines, and right knee disorder as the evidence did not support a nexus to service or a service-connected condition.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran's death was caused by his service-connected conditions or due to other causes. The issues include determining whether ischemic heart disease, COPD, hepatocellular carcinoma, hypertension, and acute renal failure are related to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, to include as secondary to PTSD and due to herbicide exposure, is granted in part. The remanded issue of whether the hypertension is aggravated by PTSD remains pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, but stayed some of his appeals due to a new law. The appeal for PTSD was dismissed as the Veteran withdrew it.

The Veteran's cause of death was congestive heart failure. The Board finds that the Appellant’s accrued benefits claim is inextricably intertwined with the claim of entitlement to service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death and thus, a remand is required to adjudicate both claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for cholesterol, hypertension, and neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities have been denied as there is no evidence showing that these conditions were incurred or aggravated during his military service.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for cervical spine disability, arthritis of the right shoulder, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus have been denied. His claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus has also been denied. The effective date for his award of service connection for PTSD is set at November 16, 2017. The Veteran's TDIU claim has been granted.

The Veteran's hypertension, left gynecomastia with breast reduction, and scar associated with left gynecomastia with breast reduction are all remanded for further evaluation as the current evidence is insufficient to determine their severity.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a chronic back disorder, psychiatric disorder, and hypertension due to insufficient evidence of record. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.