Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2020

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer and remanded other claims due to insufficient evidence regarding his exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that it was not incurred or aggravated by his military service and was not related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has ordered further development to assess the relationship between the Veteran's hypertension and his causes of death, including whether it was an immediate or underlying cause and if it contributed substantially to his death.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for skin cancer and hypertension, so the appeals are dismissed.

The Veteran's appeal of service connection for syphilis is dismissed.,Service connection for a bilateral knee condition and a bilateral hand/wrist condition are denied.,Service connection for hypertension, migraines, microcytic anemia (due to Camp Lejeune water exposure), and myelodysplastic syndrome (due to Camp Lejeune water exposure) is not established.

The Veteran has withdrawn their appeals for service connection on multiple conditions, including enlarged prostate, skin lesions of the hands, bilateral nipple condition, skin lesions of the nose, eczema of the legs, tremors and shaking of the left side of body, hypertension, and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than depression.

The Board has granted service connection for asthma and denied service connection for bladder disorder, heart disorder, diabetes mellitus type II, and splenomegaly. The issues of service connection for these conditions are remanded due to conflicting evidence regarding their etiology.

The Board dismissed the claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder as it had already been granted in a previous rating decision.,Service connection was denied for bilateral knee disability, hypertension, and headaches.

The Board has dismissed all claims related to the appellant's death, including service connection for asthma prior to May 24, 2019 and for hypertension, PTSD, and sleep apnea.

The Veteran's hypertension is not rated higher than 10 percent.,The Veteran's left knee replacement prior to December 17, 2019, is rated at 60 percent.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to insufficient evidence regarding service connection for hypertension and prostate cancer, specifically related to exposure to chemicals during service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's substantive appeal was timely filed in response to a February 2012 Statement of the Case, which denied an increased rating for hypertension and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder. The appeal is granted.

The Board denied service connection for a heart disorder, hypertension, and residuals of a transient ischemic attack (TIA). The Veteran's heart disorder was not incurred in or caused by service. His hypertension did not manifest during service and the VA examiners found no evidence linking it to active duty. The TIA occurred during INACDUTRA and was not considered an injury resulting from external trauma.,The Board also denied secondary service connection for hypertension, as there was no showing that the heart disorder caused or aggravated the hypertension.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for hypertension due to jet fuel exposure, as there is insufficient evidence regarding its onset and relationship to service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim of service connection for erectile dysfunction and restored a 20% disability evaluation for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis. The appeal regarding chronic kidney disease aggravated by hypertension, left lower extremity sensory deficit, right lower extremity sensory deficit, and TDIU prior to February 22, 2016 is still pending.

The Veteran's hypertension, which substantially contributed to his death, is found to be related to his military service. Therefore, the cause of the Veteran’s death is granted.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, prostate cancer, a chronic left wrist disorder, a chronic left knee disorder, and a chronic lower extremity disorder as there was no evidence of these conditions during or within one year after the Veteran's active service.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as service connected due to exposure to Agent Orange during service.,Bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection to cause of death and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefits due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for erectile dysfunction and hypertension, as well as his claim for a higher rating for eczema, tinea versicolor, and tinea pedis. The reasons are that additional development is needed due to incomplete factual history and inadequate VA medical opinions.