Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension and an acquired psychiatric disability due to potential in-service exposure to herbicides, but the evidence does not support a finding that he served in Vietnam or Thailand. The AOJ is instructed to take additional steps to confirm this information and provide a new opinion on the etiology of the Veteran's conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for heart disorder, hypertension, and obstructive sleep apnea due to incomplete service personnel records. The AOJ is required to obtain all relevant documents from the Veteran's period of service in the Air Force Reserve.

The Board denied service connection for erectile dysfunction, hypertension, myasthenia gravis, loss of nerve function, urinary disorder, prostate disorder, sores on the hands and feet, and right side edema as not being related to service or secondary to service-connected conditions.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability, hypertension on secondary basis to plantar fasciitis, and bilateral eye disorder (including cataracts, glaucoma, nonexudative macular degeneration, dry eyes, and loss of peripheral vision).,There is no direct evidence linking the current disabilities to active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic disease during service or within one year after separation. The VA examiner concluded that the hypertension is not related to service.

The Veteran's appeals for increased disability ratings and service connection have been dismissed due to his death.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of death, concluding that there was no evidence linking the Veteran's death to any in-service event or condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient consideration of all relevant evidence and laws, including the Veteran's presumed exposure to herbicides during service. The appellant is requested to identify any healthcare providers who treated his father for hypertension prior to death, and VA treatment records are to be obtained.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as service-connected due to exposure to Agent Orange during his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, finding that it is at least as likely as not related to the Veteran's in-service herbicide exposure and/or his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted a rating of 70 percent. Service connection for ED, sleep disorder, and hypertension secondary to PTSD are denied.

The Board has granted the Veteran's request to reopen his claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction as secondary to service-connected type II diabetes mellitus.,However, the claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction is denied because there is no medical evidence that it is related to service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board found that the Veteran's VA Form 9 was untimely and denied his claims for service connection due to lack of timely appeal.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran and will be reviewed for a compensable evaluation for hypertension.

The Veteran's diabetes is presumed to be due to his service, and he is granted service connection for this condition.,His hypertension and kidney disease are remanded as they do not meet the presumptive criteria based on herbicide exposure. His peripheral neuropathy claims are also remanded.,Service connection will be considered if there is a link between these conditions and his diabetes.

The Veteran's hypertension was diagnosed and treated during service, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of heart disorder, hypertension, ulcers, and bilateral hearing loss due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lung disorder, sleep apnea, stroke, seizure disorder, and hypertension are not related to his service-connected disabilities. The case is being remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction due to herbicide exposure. Further development is needed to determine if the Veteran's service qualifies for the expanded presumption of service connection available under the Blue Water Act.