Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2021

The Veteran's service connection claims for ganglion cysts, right wrist and left wrist were denied. The Veteran was granted initial compensatory disability ratings for hypertension and cardiomyopathy, as well as an initial 20 percent rating for a left shoulder condition. Other service-connected conditions received increased or new disability ratings.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's eye disabilities and exposure history. The appeal for service connection for hypertension remains denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, heart condition (triple bypass surgery), left leg amputation, right leg amputation, kidney disease, and hypertension due to lack of evidence showing a direct relationship between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's hypertension and his service-connected disabilities, including depression, pansinusitis, lumbar back disability, GERD, tinnitus, asthma, and deviated septum.

The appeals regarding the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and hypertension have been dismissed as all remaining issues were withdrawn in a December 2020 appellate brief. The appeal for Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) has been granted from June 14, 2011.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to need for further development, including additional evidence submission and consideration of new medical findings.

The Veteran's service-connected anxiety disorder and depressive disorder NOS are found to be etiologically related to his hypertension, but not to his OSA.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension, and exophytic cyst of the right kidney has been granted. The effective date is not specified as it is the earliest possible.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for OSA has been reopened and granted. The claim for an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for HTN is denied. The issue of entitlement to TDIU is remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for COPD, degenerative arthritis of the spine, and hypertension due to incomplete personnel records from his service. The VA is instructed to attempt to obtain these records and schedule examinations to determine if the conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's hypertension is being remanded for a medical opinion regarding its etiology, specifically whether it is related to herbicide exposure or service-connected diabetes mellitus type II. The TDIU claim is also being remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the hypertension claim.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to scheduling issues with VA examinations.

The Veteran's appeals were dismissed due to his death, and no jurisdiction remains for the claims.

The Veteran's hypertension was not incurred or aggravated during his service periods from May 1976 to September 1976, November 1980 to April 1992, October 2001 to May 2002, and May 2009 to August 2010. However, the Veteran's hypertension was incurred during his service period from November 2010 to October 2011.

The Board has remanded the cases of sleep apnea, thyroid disability (to include as due to exposure to herbicide agents), and hypertension for further development.

The Board denied service connection for the claimed conditions, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between the disabilities and active duty service. The Veteran's diabetes was not shown in service or related to service, nor were his other conditions found to be secondary to his diabetes.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to incomplete records and the need for further medical evaluation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from January 6, 2014 through March 14, 2020. Effective January 6, 2014, the Veteran was granted TDIU.

The Board denied service connection for a heart murmur, hypertension, and pregnancy-related disorders. The Veteran's heart murmur was found to be benign and not indicative of valvular heart disease. Her hypertension is not considered to have begun during or within one year after her active duty service.,Service connection for the Veteran’s heart murmur and pregnancy-related disorders were denied as there was no evidence of a diagnosed condition in service, nor did the conditions manifest within one year of separation from service.

The Board denied service connection for thyroid disorder and hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of such conditions during or within one year after service. The Veteran's current diagnoses were not related to his military service or exposure to environmental hazards.