Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for right knee disability, chronic back pain, hypertension, hepatitis C, renal disability, and acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and anxiety) due to outstanding medical records and in-service stressor verification.

The Board denied the claims for effective dates earlier than December 31, 2009, for service connection and related benefits due to lack of intent to apply for disability compensation at the time of the initial claim in 1986.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and there is no evidence linking his metastatic nasopharyngeal cancer or hypertension to exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam.

The Veteran's prostate cancer is granted as presumptively related to his service in Vietnam due to herbicide exposure. The left knee disorder, chronic headaches, and high blood pressure are denied as not being related to service or service-connected conditions.

The Board has denied service connection for hypertension, left upper extremity neuropathy, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The Veteran's left shoulder disability is currently rated at 20 percent from April 1, 2011.,The appeal is remanded to determine if the Veteran should be granted a higher rating for his left shoulder disability.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as secondary to PTSD.,Service connection for the respiratory disability (emphysema and COPD) due to service-connected asbestosis is denied.,Service connection for bilateral hip arthritis is denied, with no evidence of onset during or within one year after service.,Sleep apnea is remanded for a determination on whether it is caused by or aggravated by PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been remanded due to insufficient evidence. The Board found that the effective date of his temporary total evaluation was not earlier than September 21, 2015, and denied higher schedular ratings for his right shoulder and lumbar spine disabilities.

The Veteran's right hip was rated at the 100 percent level from June 1, 2014 to May 1, 2015 based on a 13-month convalescence period. After that, he received a 70 percent rating for marked severe residuals of weakness, pain, or limitation of motion.,The Veteran's service-connected hypertension was found to have contributed substantially to his cause of death (adult respiratory distress syndrome and pneumonia with cardiac arrest).

The application to reopen the previously denied claim for entitlement to service connection for emphysema was denied. The application to reopen the previously denied claim for hypertension (HTN) was granted.,The application to reopen the previously denied claim for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates for service connection of PTSD, a low back disability, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, a lumbar back scar, and tinnitus. The remaining claims have been remanded.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for hemorrhoids has been denied as there is no evidence of large or thrombotic, irreducible hemorrhoids with excessive redundant tissue, persistent bleeding with anemia, or anal fissures.,The effective date for the grant of service connection for prostate cancer cannot be earlier than September 11, 2012. The Veteran did not file a claim prior to this date.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for residuals of conjunctivitis, a vision problem, hypertension, and right knee disability are not supported by the evidence. The claim for hypertension is remanded due to insufficient clarification in the examiner’s opinion. The claims for residuals of conjunctivitis and a vision problem are denied as there is no indication of any current eye conditions that qualify as disabilities for VA purposes. The claims for service connection for right knee disability and lumbar spine disability are remanded as the evidence does not establish a clear link to active duty service.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for hypertension and cardiac arrhythmia secondary to sleep apnea due to insufficient explanation in the previous VA examination regarding whether these conditions are aggravated by sleep apnea.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, kidney disability, hypertension, and sleep apnea are remanded due to missing service medical records. The Veteran needs to provide authorization for VA to obtain any outstanding treatment records and in-service records. A VA examination is needed to assess the nature and etiology of these disabilities.

The Veteran's service treatment records do not show a diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence is against the claim for service connection.,Service connection for hypertension was denied as there is no evidence showing it began during or within one year after service and the examiner found it less likely related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension but has remanded the issue of service connection for diabetes mellitus due to a lack of evidence.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for other specified trauma and stressor disorder with depressive disorder is granted, effective May 3, 2016. The rating assigned is 70 percent.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lumbar spine disability, hypertension, and dementia due to inadequate compliance with prior remand directives. The RO must obtain medical opinions from qualified professionals that address the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected hypertension aggravated his stage IV chronic kidney disease, which is a superimposed pathology on his congenital polycystic kidney disease.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for coronary artery disease and diabetes have been granted as secondary to his left leg disability. The claim for hypertension is remanded.,A rating has not yet been assigned for the Veteran's scars.