Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2020

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, was reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence.,Service connection is granted for coronary heart disease due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during service.,Service connection is denied for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).,The Veteran's dementia, hypertension, heart attack (stroke), peripheral vascular disease, erectile dysfunction, and kidney renal insufficiency are remanded for further analysis regarding their relationship to his period of service or service-connected conditions.,Accrued benefits for special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance/housebound status is also remanded.

The Veteran's tinnitus is rated at 10%, and his chronic headache disorder, hypertension, and psychiatric disability are all service-connected. The Board has found the Veteran should be provided VA examinations to determine if his sleep apnea is related to his active duty or aggravated by a service-connected condition.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various conditions due to insufficient development and lack of adequate medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to insufficient evidence and need for medical opinions regarding service connection.

The Veteran's hypertension, cardiomyopathy and aortic stenosis, insomnia, skin condition, sleep apnea, left shoulder condition, and right shoulder condition are all found to be related to his service-connected PTSD. The application for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's hypertension has been rated as noncompensable since October 1, 2011. The Board found that the evidence did not show diastolic pressure predominantly 100 or more or systolic pressure predominantly 160 or more.,Service connection for tachycardia induced cardiomyopathy has been granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's hypertension is caused or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and earlier effective dates have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, left hip disorder, right hip disorder, gastrointestinal disorder, right knee disorder, and left knee disorder are remanded.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for arrhythmia and hypertension are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and verifying periods of active duty.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to October 26, 2018, for service connection of tinnitus, hypertension, insomnia disorder, and bilateral hearing loss. The Board found that no formal or informal claim was filed prior to this date.

The Veteran's application to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for an ulcer condition is granted. The Board has also remanded the issues of service connection for high blood pressure as secondary to herbicide exposure and for an ulcer condition due to in-service surgery.

The Board has granted the reopening of claims for service connection for hypertension, sleep apnea, hiatal hernia, and diabetes mellitus due to exposure to environmental hazards in the Gulf War. The appeals are remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA opinions regarding the Veteran's hypertension. The case will be returned for further development and an addendum opinion addressing the etiology of the Veteran's hypertension.

The Veteran's hypertension is denied as there are no compensable symptoms. The Veteran's low back strain is remanded for further evaluation due to inadequate previous examinations.

The Veteran's combined disability rating has been at least 80 percent since February 23, 2007. Despite having multiple part-time and full-time jobs with substantial earnings from April 2017 to July 2019 as a security guard, the Board found that he was employable throughout his appeal period.

The Veteran's diabetic retinopathy is secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The claim for hypertension, as well as the claims for bilateral hearing loss and psychiatric disorders are dismissed due to withdrawal by the Veteran. Service connection has been granted for pseudophakia, cataracts, conjunctivitis, and glaucoma as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has remanded several service connection claims due to the need for further development regarding in-service herbicide exposure and the existence of certain disorders. The Veteran's service aboard ships within Vietnam is being reviewed, as are his claims for various disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the cause of the Veteran's death, specifically whether hypertension and a possible undetected blood clot during service contributed to his heart condition.

The Veteran's application to reopen his claim for service connection of colon cancer was granted. Service connection for hypertension, kidney stones, left leg disability, right leg blood clots (including swelling and weeping), deep vein thrombosis of the left lower extremity, neuropathy, lung disability, heart disability, sleep apnea, spinal cancer tumor, and stroke were denied.

The Board has decided that a VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's hypertension is related to his in-service herbicide exposure, and thus service-connected.