Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2020

The Board has denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's bilateral foot disability and remanded issues related to hemorrhoids, right ankle tarsal tunnel syndrome, and hypertension. The case is being returned to the RO for further development.

The Veteran's right hip osteoarthritis is related to service, but his hypertension was not aggravated by service and thus he cannot be granted service connection for that condition.

The Board has denied service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), left heel pain, and left hand numbness. The Veteran's hypertension is also denied a compensable rating.,Service connection for bilateral pterygium status post removal with trace corneal opacities remains denied.

The Veteran's claims for hearing loss, high blood pressure, PTSD, rheumatoid arthritis, neuropathy of the toes, and mini strokes are being remanded due to inadequate notification of his scheduled DRO hearing.

The Veteran's claim for hypertension has been reopened, but service connection is not granted.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is denied as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or symptoms.,Benign prostatic hypertrophy is also denied due to lack of service connection.

The Board has granted a rating of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder effective August 31, 2012. The remaining issues on appeal have been remanded due to incomplete development.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a right eye disability and hypertension due to new legal requirements and evidence updates.

The Veteran's hypertension is being remanded for further development as the VA opinion did not address the questions raised in the Board's previous remand.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for back condition, asthma, diabetes, and hypertension due to inadequate nexus opinions provided by the VA examiner in July 2018.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease and hypertension, but has remanded the issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for valvular heart disease, hypertension, and Wolf-Parkinson-White syndrome due to outstanding private treatment records and the need for a VA examination.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his hypertension, which was caused or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD, contributed substantially and materially to his death.

The Veteran's claim for a skin condition has been reopened and granted. The Board dismissed the claims of TBI, sleep apnea, and PTSD. The remaining issues have been remanded.,PTSD rating remains pending due to need for a new VA examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate medical opinions provided in prior decisions.,Specifically, the Board found that the VA examinations did not provide sufficient rationale for their negative nexus opinions and required additional examination with an addendum opinion.

The Board denied reopening of claims for service connection for a low back disability and a skin rash, finding no new and material evidence. Service connection for hypertension was dismissed due to lack of evidence.,Service connection for hypertension was not granted as the Veteran did not meet the criteria under 38 C.F.R. § 3.309(e) because hypertension is not listed among the presumptive diseases associated with herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded several issues for further development, including service connection claims and a VA examination. The Veteran's claims of glaucoma, bilateral ankle disability, hearing loss, tinnitus, sleep apnea, heart disability, hypertension, back disability, degenerative arthritis of the left hip, and peripheral neuropathy are all pending.

The Veteran's service connection claim for ischemic heart disease is denied as there is no evidence of a current diagnosis and the VA examiner found no link to herbicide exposure.,Service connection for hypertension is granted based on presumed exposure to Agent Orange, with the condition not being linked to any other service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's initial noncompensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to November 9, 2017 is denied.,A 40 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss from November 9, 2017 forward is granted.,Service connection for hypertension, including as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus and due to herbicide exposure, is remanded.,Service connection for systemic arthritis is remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases of hypertension and skin cancer of the face due to herbicide exposure, as well as high cholesterol. High cholesterol is not considered a disability for VA compensation purposes.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination reports and the need for additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's cardiovascular disability, including hypertension. The VA examiner did not address whether the Veteran currently has a diagnosed heart condition or if his hypertension is related to herbicide exposure.