Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2020

The Veteran's claims for service connection on multiple issues are being remanded due to the need for additional medical evidence and opinions.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection of cirrhosis of the liver, hepatocellular carcinoma (also claimed as liver cancer), hypertension, and pancytopenia due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has remanded several claims due to the need for additional records from Social Security Administration (SSA). The Veteran's claim of entitlement to SSA disability benefits is based on his service-connected conditions, and these records are necessary to properly evaluate his claims.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's heart disorder, hypertension, and pregnancy-related disorders. The VA is required to obtain additional medical opinions addressing these issues.

The Veteran's hypertension is being remanded for a new examination to assess the current severity of his disability. The issue of TDIU prior to March 29, 2012 is also being remanded due to its inextricability with the increased rating claim.

The Board has decided that another remand is necessary before the matter of the Veteran's entitlement to a TDIU can be adjudicated. The RO must obtain an opinion from a qualified clinician regarding the functional impact of the Veteran’s service-connected disabilities, in combination, on his employability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension, Parkinson’s-like motor symptoms, DMII, and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy due to herbicide exposure. The claims are being remanded for further development including obtaining medical opinions.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a psychiatric disorder was denied. The Board found no evidence of a diagnosed psychiatric condition.,A rating in excess of 10% for tinnitus was also denied, as the Veteran is already receiving the maximum schedular rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board granted his claim for total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) for substitution purposes.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, lumbosacral degenerative disc disease, cystic skin lesions, and initial compensable rating for folliculitis barbae due to unresolved medical evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him so helpless as to need regular aid and attendance or permanently confined to his immediate premises, thus denying the claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on aid and attendance or an account of being housebound.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral vascular disease of the lower extremities and hypertension are remanded due to a lack of presumptive service connection based on herbicide exposure. The VA is requested to obtain medical opinions regarding whether these conditions were related to his in-service herbicide agent exposure.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to difficulties in obtaining relevant private treatment records. The issues remain unresolved and need further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation on and after May 26, 2009. The Board has granted TDIU for this period.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for a higher initial rating for service-connected hypertension prior to December 12, 2019.

The Board has granted service connection for peripheral neuropathy in both upper and lower extremities, as well as reopened the claim for hypertension. The decision is based on evidence of herbicide exposure during service.

The Board has remanded the cases due to a failure to issue a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC) after additional evidence was added to the record. The claims for compensable ratings for hearing loss, nasal fracture residuals, and hypertension are being returned to the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, chronic kidney disease as secondary to hypertension, heart disease as secondary to hypertension, and diabetes mellitus type II as secondary to hypertension. The Veteran's conditions are found to be proximately due or aggravated by his service-connected hypertension.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease is related to his presumed in-service exposure to herbicide agents in the Republic of Vietnam, and service connection for this condition has been granted.

The Veteran's left shoulder hemiarthroplasty is being remanded for further review.,Essential hypertension secondary to sleep apnea or stroke residuals is being remanded for further review.,Sleep apnea secondary to stroke residuals is being remanded for further review.,Osteoarthritis is being remanded for further review.,A chronic kidney disorder with kidney stones, secondary to osteoarthritis, is being remanded for further review.,Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), secondary to sleep apnea, is being remanded for further review.,Gout, secondary to a chronic kidney disorder, is being remanded for further review.,Coronary artery disease (CAD), secondary to sleep apnea, is being remanded for further review.