Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and need for additional medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of his disabilities, including hypertension and CVA.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is related to his exposure to herbicide agents during service in Vietnam, and thus grants the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including hearing loss and tinnitus, have been granted. However, the issues of service connection for hypertension, skin disorder (including actinic keratosis and rosacea), diabetes mellitus, bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are remanded due to insufficient evidence or procedural errors.

The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection and disability ratings for various conditions, including migraines, neck disability, back disability, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, diabetes, varicose veins of the left lower extremity, left shoulder disability, and anxiety. The Veteran's SSA records have not been associated with the claims file.

The Board has remanded the claims for sleep apnea, chronic sinusitis and allergic rhinitis, hypertension, and migraine headaches due to inadequate VA examinations. The Veteran must be provided with new examinations that address his contentions regarding aggravation of sleep apnea by a service-connected stressor disorder, the etiology of his sinus and allergy conditions, the onset and relationship to service of his hypertension, and the relationship between his headache disorders and any service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to non-compliance with previous remand directives regarding new and material evidence and service connection.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for lumbosacral strain, allergic rhinitis, sleep apnea, and hypertension due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Board has denied service connection for a right shoulder disorder, left foot disorder, and hypertension. The evidence does not support the Veteran's claims that these conditions are related to her military service.,There is no direct evidence linking the current diagnoses of right shoulder disorder, left foot disorder, or hypertension to the Veteran's active duty.

The Board has dismissed all service connection claims due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, is denied as there is no current diagnosis of a mental disorder.,Service connection for peripheral vascular disease of the bilateral lower extremities is remanded due to insufficient evidence on whether it is secondary to service-connected coronary artery disease and exposure to herbicide agents.

The claims for right ear hearing loss, bilateral eye disability, BLE arthritis, gout, diabetes mellitus, left ear hearing loss, erectile dysfunction, surgical scar, tinnitus, hypertension, and lumbar spine disability have been dismissed due to the lack of an adequate substantive appeal.,The claim for liver disability has also been dismissed as there was no adequate substantive appeal.

The Board has denied earlier effective dates for various service connection claims, and has remanded the issues of service connection for trigger finger of the right middle finger and right ring fingers.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied as his conditions did not meet the criteria for higher disability ratings under applicable VA rating criteria.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including hypertension, bilateral knee disabilities, lumbar spine disability, bilateral foot condition (toe condition), bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, headaches, left leg laceration, LUE peripheral neuropathy, and DMII have been denied.,No new evidence has been provided to support the Veteran's claims for service connection.

The Board has remanded several issues including service connection claims for various conditions, as well as a claim for hypertension. The Veteran's tinnitus and back disability are presumed related to his active service, while the other conditions have not been shown to be directly related to service.

The Veteran's hypertension claim is being remanded for a VA medical opinion to consider the updated evidence regarding Agent Orange exposure and its association with hypertension.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.,There is no evidence of a kidney disability during or recent to the appeal period. The Veteran's claims for service connection for circulatory problems, hypertension, and prostate hypertrophy are remanded as additional medical opinions are needed.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as service connected due to presumed exposure to herbicides during his Vietnam-era service.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA medical opinion to determine if the Veteran's service-connected disabilities caused or aggravated his hypertension and coronary artery disease, which led to his death.

The Board has remanded the case for further examination and opinion regarding service connection for hypertension, including whether it is related to a pre-existing condition or secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability.