Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine disorder and eye disorders, including dry eye, glaucoma, and ocular hypertension. The remand requires additional medical opinions or examinations to clarify whether these conditions are related to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there is no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicide agents and concluding that his current hypertension is not related to his active military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current diagnosis and his active duty service, including jet fuel exposure. The Board also noted that hypertension had not been diagnosed within one year after service.

The Veteran's appeals for kidney failure, tibial shin splints, and acne with scaring on the face and chest have been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeal to reopen his claim of entitlement to service connection for hypertension has been granted. The Board will now review this issue de novo.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, finding that the evidence is in equipoise and resolving any reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran. The hypertension is presumed to be related to herbicide exposure during service.

The Veteran's hypertension with cardiomegaly is rated at 20 percent, and the Board found no evidence of diastolic pressure being predominantly 120 or more to warrant a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the claims for throat cancer, bladder disorder, and hypertension due to exposure to herbicide agents (likely Gulf War Agent Orange). The Veteran's service records show he was exposed during his temporary duty in Vietnam. However, hypertension is not presumptively linked to Agent Orange exposure.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for heart condition and hypertension due to a lack of an addendum opinion addressing whether these conditions are related to conceded herbicide exposure.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hypertension, and for obtaining relevant Social Security Administration records.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an error in not providing a statement of reasons and bases for whether a VA examination is warranted. The case will be returned for such an examination.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral feet toenail fungus, and hypertension are all granted as service-connected.,Service connection for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is denied prior to August 13, 2013, and remanded for further development after that date.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a sleep disorder, thyroid condition, left knee condition, and hypertension due to unclear opinions regarding presumed herbicide exposure. The Veteran's left knee condition is also being remanded for a new opinion.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment, thus the claim for total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is denied.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, depression, anxiety (acquired psychiatric disability), right ear hearing loss, blurred vision, anal condition, and hypertension have been granted as new and material evidence has been submitted. The service connection claims are reopened.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of death due to lack of evidence linking the Veteran's fatal conditions (heart failure, chronic hypertension, drug addiction, hepatitis C, and COPD) to his military service.,For nonservice-connected death pension benefits from January 1, 2010 to February 1, 2012, the Board denied the claim due to the Appellant's income exceeding the maximum annual pension rate (MAPR).,The Board also denied nonservice-connected death pension benefits for the period from January 1, 2008 to February 1, 2009 because of discrepancies in the calculation of the Veteran's last expenses and the Appellant's income.

The Board has remanded the claims for left and right eye disabilities, GERD, hemorrhoids, erectile dysfunction, prostate disability, neurological impairment (including peripheral neuropathy and polyneuropathy), and hypertension due to incomplete development of records from McDonald Army Hospital. The VA examinations provided insufficient opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, nephrosclerosis, UTI, and hypertension as they are not related to the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's hypertension with chronic renal insufficiency is rated at 60 percent since August 26, 2010. The Board has determined that the evidence does not support a higher rating and has remanded the issue for further development.

The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension and chronic kidney disease due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran's service-connected conditions are presumed to be related to exposure to herbicide agents, specifically Agent Orange.

The Veteran meets the schedular criteria for TDIU consideration and his service-connected disabilities prevent him from maintaining substantially gainful employment.