Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2021

The Veteran's service connection for type II diabetes mellitus is granted. The claims for increased disability rating for left knee, bilateral hip condition and neurocognitive disorder are remanded due to new evidence added to the record. Service connection for diastolic heart failure, hypertension, asthma, COPD and sleep apnea, as well as bilateral hearing loss and seizure disorder are also remanded.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss have been denied.,The Veteran's claim for hypertension has been remanded due to the need for an addendum opinion regarding presumed exposure to herbicides during service.,The Veteran's claim for peripheral neuropathy, OSA, and peripheral artery disease secondary to diabetes mellitus type II has been remanded for further development.,The Veteran's claim for initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss has been remanded due to the need for a VA examination.,reasoning

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The Veteran's hypertension was not found to be related to his military service, as there were no abnormal blood pressure readings during service. His GERD was also not linked to service, with the first documented diagnosis occurring over 30 years after separation.,The Board concluded that the Veteran did not have a causal connection between his current conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II is currently rated as 20 percent disabling. The Board has found that the current evidence does not support a higher rating, and thus denied an increased rating.,Service connection for hypertension was granted based on presumed exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient examination and opinion regarding his claimed disabilities. The case will be returned for further development.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, finding that it was not incurred or aggravated during active duty and is not proximately due to a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for further medical development and opinion regarding the relationship between his conditions and military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that it was not incurred during active duty or ACDUTRA and thus is not related to his service-connected lumbosacral spine disability.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a back disability and granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine. The case is remanded to obtain VA treatment records, determine if hypertension is related to active service or aggravated by PTSD and/or sleep apnea, and provide an opinion on whether it was caused by these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, finding that the Veteran's current condition is at least as likely as not related to his in-service exposure to herbicides. The decision also acknowledges the presumption of herbicide exposure based on service in offshore waters during Vietnam.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and TDIU due to lack of recent VA treatment records, as well as incomplete medical opinions regarding the relationship between his hypertension and service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, lumbar spine disability, left shoulder and right shoulder disabilities, degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, bilateral shoulders, knees, left hand, and wrist, right knee, left knee, left hand wrist degenerative joint disease, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction, preclude substantially gainful employment from June 17, 2008. Therefore, a TDIU is granted for this period.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for coronary artery disease, type II diabetes mellitus, and hypertension due to insufficient evidence regarding in-service herbicide agent exposure. The Veteran is not entitled to an initial compensable rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and TDIU. The Board found that hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by service, may not be presumed to have been incurred therein, and is not proximately due to, the result of, or aggravated by a service-connected disease or injury.

The Board has granted service connection for erectile dysfunction, but the issues of hypertension and kidney disability are remanded due to insufficient medical evidence. The neurological disabilities remain in dispute.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted entitlement to Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) effective March 29, 2012. The CAD issue was dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal for this condition.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration. Specifically, the Veteran's claims for service connection are being reviewed due to new evidence or changes in medical understanding.

The Board has remanded two issues: service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, which is secondary to a service-connected condition (deviated nasal septum), and service connection for hypertension, which may be related to the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea. The AOJ needs to obtain updated treatment records and request an addendum medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran’s obstructive sleep apnea is aggravated by his service-connected deviated nasal septum.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hypertension, specifically whether it is related to service or secondary to his service-connected ischemic heart disease and/or PTSD.