Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension, residuals of right breast surgery, and eczematous dermatosis of the hands, face, arms and legs due to a duty to assist error. The Veteran's exposure while stationed at Fort McClellan is being verified, and she will be scheduled for an examination to assess her current severity.

The Veteran's claims for chronic kidney disease and hypertension are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding their etiology. The service connection is sought based on presumed exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension as a result of herbicide exposure, but the issue of service connection for non-ischemic heart disease secondary to hypertension is remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases of hypertension and an eye disability for further development, including obtaining additional medical opinions to address their etiology.

The claims for service connection for hypertension, right knee disability, left knee disability, right foot disability, left foot disability, right shoulder disability, and left shoulder disability have been reopened.,The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder has also been reopened.

The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension and residuals of stroke due to potential secondary service connection based on herbicide exposure. The case will be returned for further development.

The Board has dismissed all the veteran's appeals for various disabilities, including cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, left knee disability, bilateral plantar fasciitis with heel spurs and metatarsalgia, posterior thigh muscle (left thigh disability), hypertension, inguinal hernia, kidney stones, and generalized anxiety disorder. The appeals were withdrawn by the veteran's representative on September 21, 2020.

The Veteran's appeal of service connection for hypertension, GERD, and left ear hearing loss has been dismissed. The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for major depression is denied. An effective date of August 24, 2018, for the award of a 70 percent rating for major depression is granted.,The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinion regarding whether hypertension is aggravated by service-connected coronary artery calcification.

The Board denied service connection for both obstructive sleep apnea and hypertension as secondary to obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and heart disease, finding that the conditions are not related to active military service or exposure to herbicides.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory condition, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic lung condition during service and that any condition having a nexus in service would have manifested well before separation. The Veteran's current diagnoses were not related to his in-service treatment or exposure to Agent Orange.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a cardiac disability, including coronary artery disease (CAD), is granted. The claims for hypertension and kidney disability are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding their etiology. The claim for residuals of a stroke is also remanded. The claim for an aortic aneurysm remains pending.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension, vascular disease (including stroke and cerebrovascular accident), and heart condition due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their onset during service or relatedness to service.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, including as due to herbicide agent exposure, and the issue of entitlement to total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) was abandoned.

The Veteran's hypertension was not shown to have begun during service or be related to any in-service injury, and the claim is denied.,There is no evidence that the Veteran's right knee disability began during service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury. The claim for this condition is denied.,Similarly, there is no evidence that the Veteran's left knee disability began during service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury. The claim for this condition is also denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, a rating for bilateral hearing loss, and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The claims are being remanded because there is insufficient evidence of record to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's hypertension, as well as his current severity of bilateral hearing loss disability.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and denied an initial compensable rating for hypertension. The Veteran's current symptoms do not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's initial noncompensable evaluation for service-connected hypertension is being remanded due to a lack of an adequate VA examination.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions and missing private treatment records. The Veteran's heart disability is being considered secondary to his service-connected hypertension.