Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to a failure to readjudicate them after additional VA examination and treatment records were added to his file.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and verification of his in-service stressors.

The claim for service connection for a dental disability to include treatment purposes only is remanded.,The issues of service connection for skin, eye, and lumbosacral spine disabilities are remanded due to the need for VA examinations and additional medical records.,The issue of service connection for prostate disability is remanded.,The issues of service connection for hypertension, thyroid disability, and sleep disorder (sleep apnea) are remanded.,The issues of effective date prior to December 12, 1989, for PTSD; initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD; and retroactive VA compensation benefits are remanded.

The Board dismissed the appeal for an earlier effective date for service connection for arteriovascular disease. The case was remanded for a rating in excess of 10 percent for basilar artery insufficiency and for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disability, including as secondary to his service-connected hypertension. The evidence did not show a current diagnosis of a respiratory condition related to his military service or his service-connected hypertension.

The Veteran's petition to reopen the previously denied claim for migraine headaches was granted. Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is granted, and service connection for fibromyalgia is granted with a rating of 70 percent effective December 11, 2018.,Service connection for COPD and hypertension are both denied. The Veteran's MDD is found to aggravate his obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for right ear hearing loss, hypertension, bladder cancer (due to herbicide exposure), and a skin condition (formerly claimed as chloracne) due to VA not having obtained all relevant records and because an examination is needed to determine if any current bladder cancer is related to military service.

The Veteran's cause of death was due to acute respiratory failure, pneumonia, bowel obstruction, chronic kidney disease, hypertension, and ischemic heart disease. None of these conditions are service-connected or related to his time in service.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and atrial fibrillation, finding that the evidence is in relative equipoise as to whether these conditions are proximately due to or aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected sleep apnea.

A 100% rating has been granted for the Veteran's service-connected anxiety disorder.,The claim for PTSD is denied as it is already covered by the service-connected anxiety disorder.,Service connection for hypertension is denied as there is no evidence that it is proximately due to or aggravated by the service-connected anxiety disorder.,Service connection for stroke is denied as there is no direct link between the service-connected anxiety and the stroke.,Service connection for sleep apnea is denied as there is no direct link between the service-connected anxiety and the condition.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection of OSA as secondary to his service-connected hypertension, finding that there is equipoise evidence and applying the benefit of doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and prostate cancer were also denied due to lack of in-service onset or relationship to service.,Steal syndrome of the bilateral hands, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and sleep apnea were not granted service connection as they did not manifest during service or are not related to service.,The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for pseudofolliculitis barbae was denied as his condition does not cover at least 20% of his body or require systemic therapy.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service or within one year of separation and is not etiologically related to any in-service disease or injury. The Board also found no evidence that environmental exposures in the Persian Gulf caused the condition. Additionally, there was no evidence showing that the hypertension was aggravated by his service-connected depression.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, coronary artery disease with acute myocardial infarction, hypertension, and gastroesophageal reflux disease due to potential relevance of evidence from a previous remand.

The Veteran's claims for various conditions, including vision, thyroid, lung, Hepatitis C, high blood pressure, arthritis, fibromyalgia, nail, and liver disabilities are denied. The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection or rating determinations.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted service connection and he is assigned a 10% disability rating for recurrent corneal epithelial defects of the right eye. The appeal for left eye glaucoma and cataract was remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to outstanding private treatment records and the need for further development regarding asbestos exposure, dizziness, and PTSD.

The Veteran's nephrolithiasis is rated at 30 percent since the onset of his condition, effective from August 8, 2018.,An initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for hypertension prior to August 8, 2018 was denied. From August 8, 2018, a 10 percent disability rating is granted.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death, finding no evidence of herbicide exposure and insufficient medical evidence to link his death to any service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's cirrhosis of the liver is granted as secondary to service-connected PTSD with alcohol abuse disorder.,Service connection for prostate cancer and right hand disorders are denied.,Service connection for hypertension, residuals of frostbite, and headache disorder are remanded due to insufficient evidence.