Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2020

The Veteran's service connection for ischemic heart disease and hypertension due to diabetes mellitus, type II is granted on a presumptive basis. Service connection for vision/cataracts condition and peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as it is aggravated by his service-connected coronary artery disease (CAD), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and other conditions.

The Board has found the VA examinations inadequate to make an informed decision on the Veteran's claims and requires additional remand for further examination.

The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD was denied. Service connection for hypertension and bruxism were granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have precluded him from securing and following substantially gainful employment for which his education and occupational experience would otherwise qualify.

The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection for various conditions, including hypertension, benign prostate hypertrophy, erectile dysfunction, and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities. The Veteran's claims are being returned due to insufficient verification of his exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension based on presumed exposure to herbicide agents during service. The claims of an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for coronary artery disease and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities are remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete medical opinions regarding his sinus condition and its relationship to his other claimed conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension secondary to PTSD and residuals of CVA secondary to hypertension, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether these conditions are caused by the service-connected conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and stroke, finding that there was no evidence of onset during active duty or within one year post-service, and that any current conditions are not related to service.,For the stroke claim, the Board found that there is no direct service connection as the condition did not occur during service. The secondary service connection claim was also denied because hypertension (the claimed condition) is not service-connected.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for hypertension due to new legal and medical developments, including a change in how VA defines aggravation and a reclassification of hypertension by the National Academy of Sciences. The Veteran's representative is advised to consider if continuing the current claim makes sense given recent awards.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's hypertension should be remanded for further development and an addendum medical opinion to address whether his service-connected PTSD caused or aggravated his hypertension.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, hypertension, and acid reflux. The evidence did not show a current diagnosis of PTSD or establish that any of these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for benign hypertrophy of the prostate, hypertension as a result of herbicide exposure, and sleep apnea due to incomplete development and need for updated medical opinions.

The Board denied service connection for a back disability, hypertension, and thyroid disorder. The Veteran's back disability is not shown to have had onset in service or within one year of discharge. Hypertension and thyroid disorder are not presumed due to Agent Orange exposure.,Service connection was also denied for the Veteran's hypertension as it did not manifest during service or within a post-service year, nor is there evidence linking it to service. The same applies to his thyroid disorder.,The Board found no direct link between the Veteran's current thyroid disorder and service.

The Veteran withdrew all remaining issues associated with the appeal before a decision was made, resulting in the dismissal of the case.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as secondary to his service-connected diabetes. Ratings for bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are granted at 20 percent from December 6, 2013.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right knee, back, and TBI disabilities on a secondary basis. Service connection is also granted for his right hip, left hip, and sinus disabilities, but not for his right eye or kidney disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for rectal cancer, mitral valve prolapse, and pulmonary hypertension. The claims were based on the Veteran's exposure to ionizing radiation during his military service, but no definitive evidence was provided to support a causal link between the conditions and this exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, finding that the Veteran's exposure to herbicides in Vietnam is presumed and that his hypertension is more likely than not caused by this exposure.