Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2020

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board has determined that more evidence is needed to decide these cases.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus was denied. The issue of service connection for hypertension, to include as secondary to a service-connected disability, is remanded.

The Board denied the reopening of the claim for service connection for hypertension because there was no new and material evidence provided to link the condition to service or herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's service connection claim for an undiagnosed illness manifested by joint pain in the left ankle is granted. The Board finds that the Veteran exhibited objective indications of a qualifying chronic disability during active duty in the Southwest Asia theater of operations, meeting the requirements for service connection under § 3.317.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lumbar spine disorder and hypertension, both of which are secondary to service-connected PTSD. The claims will be reviewed with a focus on whether these conditions are related to service or if they were aggravated by service-connected PTSD.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and opinion regarding service connection for the claimed conditions.

The petition to reopen the previously denied claim for service connection for hypertension is denied. Service connection for tinnitus is denied. A disability rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is associated with her service-connected migraine headaches and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates and disability ratings in multiple conditions are being remanded due to pending development of the record.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for sleep apnea, left shoulder degenerative joint disease with a history of rotator cuff repair, right shoulder degenerative joint disease with a history of rotator cuff repair, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease status post laminectomy, right knee degenerative joint disease and meniscus tear, status post repair, and hypertension. The remand is due to the need for additional development regarding these issues.,The Veteran's service connection claims have been previously addressed by the Board in February 2016 and February 2018, with further remands made in those decisions.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development due to inadequate opinions regarding service connection for hypertension and benign prostatic hyperplasia, which are linked to presumed herbicide exposure in Vietnam.

The Board has denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for hypertension and has remanded the issue of entitlement to TDIU due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of left little finger amputation is granted, and the Board finds that his disability was aggravated by his active duty service. The Veteran's hypertension claim is remanded for a VA opinion on its etiology.

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting evidence on whether the Veteran currently has congestive heart failure, and a supplemental opinion is needed from the VA examiner.

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

The Veteran's hypertension is related to his service-connected PTSD, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition. The TDIU claim prior to May 7, 2015 remains pending as it may be impacted by the initial rating assigned for hypertension.

The Veteran's appeal for PTSD has been dismissed as the evidence does not support a current diagnosis of PTSD.,Hypertension and diabetes mellitus have final denial decisions, and new and material evidence was not received within one year of the November 2008 rating decision. The appeals are therefore dismissed.,The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy claims have been dismissed as there is no current diagnosis for any of these conditions during the appeal period.

The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and kidney condition, finding that the preponderance of evidence is against a causal relationship to service. The case is remanded for further development regarding bilateral pes planus.

The appeal for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremity, hypokalemia, an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as PTSD), and hypertension is denied. The appeal for service connection for hypokalemia was dismissed due to withdrawal by the Veteran.

The Veteran's cause of death was not service-connected due to the lack of evidence linking his conditions to military service or a service-connected disability.