Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2021

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inconclusive VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hypertension. The Veteran will need a new addendum medical opinion to address whether his hypertension is related to service or caused by, aggravated by, or proximately due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's initial rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The Veteran's hypertension is granted at a 10% rating prior to November 21, 2019 and denied thereafter. The Veteran's sinusitis is denied. The Veteran's acute renal failure is granted at a 30% rating prior to August 16, 2018 and denied thereafter. The Veteran's gout is denied. The Veteran's PTSD with depressive disorder is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension based on exposure to herbicide agents, finding that there was no evidence of a link between his hypertension and herbicide exposure. The Board also found that hypertension is not a presumptively service-connected condition due to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary artery disease, hypertension and tinnitus are all granted as service-connected.,Bilateral hearing loss is denied due to lack of evidence showing a current disability.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to military service or exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board denied service connection for decreased memory, left ankle condition, and right ankle condition due to lack of a current diagnosis and insufficient evidence linking these conditions to service.,Service connection was also denied for anemia, hypertension, kidney condition, left knee condition, and right knee condition as the preponderance of the evidence did not support a link between these conditions and service.

The Board denied service connection for cervical spine disability, hypertension, and folliculitis. The cervical spine disability was not incurred in or related to service. Hypertension is not shown to be caused by service-connected conditions.,Folliculitis was not shown to have been present during service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to incomplete service treatment records and personnel records. The Veteran is seeking service connection for various conditions, including high cholesterol, back problems, gout of the ankles, sinusitis, acid reflux, carpal tunnel syndrome of the wrists, and hypertension.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for hypertension and TDIU was denied as the evidence did not show that his hypertension warranted a higher than 10 percent rating, nor did it demonstrate he could not secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's dizziness, claimed as Meniere's disease, is granted service connection.,His hypertension, including as secondary to his service-connected anxiety and chronic pain from a pilonidal cyst scar, is also granted service connection.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension and upper extremity neuropathies due to potential service connection based on herbicide exposure. Additional development is needed, including obtaining medical opinions regarding whether these conditions are related to in-service herbicide exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is at least as likely as not aggravated by his anxiety disorder, and thus grants service connection for hypertension.

The Board has dismissed all service connection claims and rating appeals due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the claim for hypertension due to herbicide exposure, as there is insufficient evidence to determine if it is related to service. The Veteran's military occupational specialty (MOS) indicates he was not in the chemical corps, which could affect his herbicide exposure status.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for hypertension, TIA, and serotonin syndrome. The case is being remanded to obtain clarifying medical opinions regarding neuropsychiatric cognitive and memory deficits related to these conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a bilateral foot disorder, bilateral eye disorder, and hypertension to include as secondary to service-connected CAD due to additional development being necessary.

The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension and congestive heart failure due to additional development being necessary, including obtaining private medical records and providing an opinion on whether these conditions are related to service-connected back disability or hypertension.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, finding that it is not secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine degenerative disc disease.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus and prostate cancer, caused his death. The Board has determined that the Veteran was in need of regular aid and attendance due to these conditions.