Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for unequal pupils, obstructive sleep apnea, disability manifested by high cholesterol as secondary to his service-connected atrial fibrillation, and hypertension as secondary to his sleep apnea due to insufficient evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD. The remaining issues, including those related to the Veteran's hip condition, back condition, erectile dysfunction, bilateral knee condition, high blood pressure, tinnitus, and PTSD, are remanded due to incomplete development of records.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for hypertension and ulcerative colitis (claimed as due to tuberculosis) was granted, while her claims for chest pain and left knee disability were remanded.

The Veteran's service connection for hypertension was granted, while his claims for hemiplegia, diabetes mellitus type II (DMII), and PTSD were denied. The rating for DMII remains at 20 percent, and the rating for PTSD is still at 70 percent. Service connection for atrial fibrillation, SMC based on aid and attendance, and TDIU are all remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension was originally denied in March 2009 due to unavailable service treatment records. After the Veteran provided his complete service treatment records, which showed he had been diagnosed with hypertension during active duty, the Board decided to readjudicate the claim and grant service connection effective December 10, 2007.

The Veteran's claims for cervical-spine disorder, bilateral-hand disorder, bilateral-shoulder disorder, lumbar-spine disorder, bilateral-leg disorder, CAD, shortness of breath, hypertension, and bilateral-foot disorder have been reopened due to the submission of new evidence. However, these claims are still denied as there is no direct or secondary service connection established.,The Veteran's claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, has also been reopened due to the submission of new evidence. However, this claim is still denied as there is no direct service connection established.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for hypertension has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The other issues remain remanded as they require further examination and opinion.

Service connection is granted for tinnitus, sleep apnea, and PTSD. The effective date for service connection of PTSD prior to November 19, 2013, is denied.,Service connection is granted for basal cell carcinoma, melanoma, a skin rash, hypertension, right lower extremity numbness, tingling, and loss of feeling, left lower extremity numbness, tingling, and loss of feeling, restless leg syndrome of the left lower extremity.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including costochondritis, degenerative joint disease and disc disease of the lumbar spine, hypertension, COPD, sleep apnea, and gout. The issues are all denied.

The Board has remanded the cases of hypertension and right knee disability for additional development to comply with prior remand directives.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension but remanded the claim for a psychiatric disability, including adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a cardiovascular disorder (other than hypertension) also claimed as cardiac impairment, to include atrial fibrillation, was denied. The Veteran's initial compensable disability rating for hypertension was also denied.

Service connection is granted for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, but denied for low back disability, asthma (claimed as dyspnea), sleep apnea, and hypertension.,The Veteran's current asthma was not manifest in active service or related to service.

The Board has remanded the issue of entitlement to an increased rating for hypertension prior to December 19, 2011 due to a lack of issuance of a Statement of the Case (SOC).

The Board denied service connection for residuals carcinoma of rectosigmoid, with colostomy and hypertension due to lack of evidence showing a nexus between the conditions and military service. The Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents was not considered as it is not known to cause these specific conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and hypertension due to insufficient medical opinions regarding causation or aggravation. The VA will need to provide additional opinions on whether these conditions are related to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's depression is now rated at 70 percent, effective September 2, 2010. The rating for his hypertension remains denied.

The Veteran seeks an earlier effective date for the grant of TDIU prior to July 29, 2016. The Board finds that additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran was unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities prior to this date.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication due to issues of entitlement to service connection for food allergies and hypertension, as well as a need for additional medical opinions regarding mental health conditions and their relationship to service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected.,Service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome and major depressive disorder (MDD) are denied. The Veteran's hypertension and right elbow disability are remanded for further development.