Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a heart disorder and hypertension due to potential aggravation by the Veteran's service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current hypertension diagnosis is related to his active military service, and therefore grants service connection for hypertension as secondary to atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (CAD).

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's AV block is related to service or service-connected disability. The VA examiner will need to provide an addendum opinion addressing these issues.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension and sleep apnea claims should be remanded for further development, including obtaining additional medical opinions to address potential service connection.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for his service-connected muscle contraction headaches was dismissed. His claims for service connection for hypertension and kidney failure, both secondary to his service-connected headaches, were denied.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for hypertension was denied, but his claim for a higher rating for dry eyes was granted to 20 percent effective January 11, 2014.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for hypertension and vertigo due to insufficient compliance with previous remand directives.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic headaches, but denied service connection for hypertension.

The Veteran's hypertension is being remanded for an addendum opinion considering the 2018 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NAS) Agent Orange Update which upgraded the likelihood of an association between hypertension and exposure to herbicides from 'limited or suggestive' evidence of an association to 'sufficient' evidence of an association.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an effective date prior to March 15, 2018 for the grant of TDIU and DEA benefits due to inextricability with the TDIU claim.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including sinus/allergic rhinitis, headache condition, hypertension, skin cancer of the bilateral arms, high cholesterol, bilateral shoulder condition, appendix removal residuals, colon condition, GERD, brain stem stroke, sleep apnea, and heart condition. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted, and his service-connected anxiety disorder has an effective date of April 16, 2014. The Board also found that the Veteran’s genitourinary disability, digestive disability, sleep apnea, right upper extremity neurologic disability, left upper extremity neurologic disability, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, and seborrheic keratosis are related to his service-connected type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and left lower extremity varicose veins, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted with a 10% evaluation, but no more. The claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) is remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is related to exposure to herbicide agents during service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease status post coronary artery bypass graft and myocardial infarction was granted with an effective date of December 7, 2014. The issues of hypertension were remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for clothing allowances for a brace used for his service-connected back disability and topical medication used for his service-connected eczema in 2018, as there was no evidence that these items caused significant damage to his clothes.

The claim for service connection for low potassium is denied.,The claim for service connection for residuals, spinal tap is denied.,The claim for service connection for residuals, colon cancer is denied.,The claim for service connection for deep vein thrombosis (DVT), claimed as blood clots, groin and legs is denied.,The claim for service connection for pulmonary embolism, claimed as blood clots, lungs is denied.,The claim for service connection for nephrolithiasis (kidney stones) is denied.,The claim for service connection for hemorrhoids is denied.,The claim for service connection for chronic pneumonia and residuals is denied.,The claim for service connection for a heart disability, claimed as high blood pressure, multiple blocked arteries, and heart attacks is denied.,The claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II (diabetes) is denied.,The claim for service connection for gout is denied.,The claim for service connection for arthritis is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, back disorder, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hepatitis C, sleep apnea, left leg disorder, right leg disorder, PTSD, and depressive disorder. The criteria for a higher rating were not met in any of these cases.

The Board dismissed all claims for service connection due to the death of the appellant.