Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's service-connected PTSD and his cause of death, specifically congestive heart failure. The AOJ is required to obtain an addendum from a non-VHA cardiologist addressing whether PTSD aggravated hypertension or cardiovascular disease that led to the Veteran's death.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and left eye diabetic retinopathy as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus type II. The Veteran is also awarded a disability rating of 60 percent for his service-connected diabetic nephropathy with acute renal failure and hypoosmolar nonketosis.

The Veteran's heart murmur and hypertension are granted as secondary to herbicide agent exposure. However, his restless leg syndrome is denied due to lack of a direct relationship with service or herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for sleep apnea and hypertension due to inadequate VA opinions regarding whether these conditions are related to PTSD.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's hypertension should be remanded due to a duty to assist error regarding its onset during service or relation to in-service herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's hypertension is being remanded for further examination and opinion regarding its relationship to his service-connected diabetes type 2, as well as whether it was caused by herbicide exposure during service. The case will also be examined for direct service connection based on herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's service connection claims for hypertension, left eye ischemic optic neuropathy, and peripheral vascular disease were denied. His PTSD with marijuana abuse and alcohol abuse in remission was granted a disability rating of 70 percent from September 12, 2019, to July 24, 2021. The remaining service connection claims for peripheral vascular disease and kidney dysfunction are pending.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for an examination to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed acquired psychiatric disorder. The other claims regarding pulmonary hypertension, chronic renal insufficiency, and a scar from endarterectomy are still pending.

The Board has determined that the appellant's claims for service connection on appeal must be remanded due to a lack of VA examinations and development. The claims include bilateral hearing loss, bilateral foot disorder, left shoulder disorder, hypertension, acquired psychiatric disorder (initially claimed as anxiety and/or depression), left eye disorder, bilateral knee disorder, and cervical spine disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that it is not proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes and there is no evidence of herbicide exposure. The Board also found that hypertension is not a presumptive condition based on presumed Agent Orange exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's hypertension is related to his military service, specifically his exposure to herbicide agents. The examiner must provide a thorough opinion on the nature and etiology of the Veteran's hypertension.

All issues related to knee arthritis and diabetes mellitus are remanded for further development. The Veteran's hypertension is granted as secondary to his service-connected diabetes. Service connection for diabetic nephropathy is granted with an effective date of December 6, 2016.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension was incurred during his period of ACDUTRA from July 1994 to September 1998, and service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's hypertension was predominantly manifested by diastolic pressure under 110 and systolic pressure under 200. The Board found that the Veteran's blood pressure readings did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's legacy appeals for increased ratings for sinus tachycardia and hypertension as she opted into the modernized appeals system (AMA) within the required timeframe.

The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension, coronary artery disease, GERD, and sleep apnea as they are related to service-connected PTSD. The VA will provide new opinions regarding whether these conditions were caused or aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected deviated septum.

The Veteran's appeals of his claims for skin disability and hypertension have been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Veteran's HIV, acquired psychiatric disability, liver disability, hypertension, digestive condition, colorectal and/or anal cancer, and blood disorder are all remanded for further development to determine their etiology.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing has been manifested by hearing acuity of no worse than Level I in the right ear and no worse than Level I in the left ear. The criteria for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss have not been met.,The claims for entitlement to service connection for a left knee condition, a right knee condition, pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), onychomycosis (jungle rot), lichen simplex chronicus (skin disorder on the left scalp), and hypertension are remanded due to inadequate VA medical opinions.,The Veteran's main complaint is effectively reduced hearing acuity and clarity, which is what is contemplated in the rating assigned for bilateral hearing loss. The preponderance of the most probative evidence is against the claim of entitlement to a compensable rating.,For his jungle rot, he reported it started in Taiwan in 1968 and was treated with cream. For the left scalp, he reported receiving cream for it in Thailand and that it would recur. He further indicated that he had a shaving profile for PFB in service.