Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2021

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not have its onset in service and was not caused by any incident of service or a service-connected disability.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that it is not secondary to his service-connected obstructive sleep apnea and/or depression.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability was granted service connection. The right ear hearing loss, upper back, lower back, acid reflux (GERD), respiratory disability, and hemorrhoids were denied service connection. Service connection for the disabilities of the upper and lower extremities was also denied.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as service connected due to in-service herbicide agent exposure. Ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left upper extremities are granted at 50% and 40%, respectively, effective from August 13, 2018. The earlier effective date issue regarding these ratings is not addressed.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding direct service connection for hypertension. The Veteran's multiple in-service blood pressure readings are being considered.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's hypertension is related to his military service. The case will be sent back for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's breathing disability and high blood pressure are service-connected due to herbicide exposure. However, the peripheral neuropathy claim is remanded as there is insufficient evidence to determine its relationship to his PTSD.,Service connection for hypertension has been granted.

The Veteran's hypertension was found to not meet the criteria for a higher rating, and his claim for arthritis of the fingers is remanded for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete records and needs further examination for a cardiovascular condition, including hypertension, dilated cardiomyopathy, and congestive heart failure. The examiner should review relevant STRs and a December 1992 intravenous pyelogram report of the kidneys.

The Veteran's hypertension and hypertensive retinopathy are granted service connection due to exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam. His tuberculosis is denied as secondary to PTSD.

The Veteran's hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and chronic headache disability are granted as service-connected due to in-service herbicide exposure.,Bladder cancer is denied as there is no evidence of the condition during or within one year after separation from active service. Peripheral neuropathy is also denied based on lack of evidence of onset during service or within a year post-separation.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary before the claims on appeal can be decided. The Veteran's representative indicated that he received private treatment from Joslin Diabetes Center and St. Luke's Hospital, which have not been associated with the claims file. Treatment records from the Bedford VA Medical Center (VAMC) were also requested but could not be obtained due to a lack of information in the claims file. Clarification is needed regarding any claimed herbicide exposure for hypertension, and an examination is required to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed cataracts.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings in excess of 10 percent for his right knee and left knee conditions are remanded. The Veteran also has a finding of total disability based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) and special monthly compensation (SMC) at the housebound rate is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, ocular hypertension, and chronic pain syndrome. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions began during active service or were related to a service-connected disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for his TDIU due to service-connected disabilities, finding that he was not unemployable solely due to his service-connected conditions prior to August 27, 2020.

The Board has ordered a remand for the Veteran's claims of service connection for coronary artery disease and hypertension secondary to his service-connected PTSD. The remand requires obtaining additional VA treatment records, including those from the VistA system, and providing an addendum opinion addressing whether these conditions are related to his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's HTN warrants a 10 percent rating, but not higher. The issue of an initial rating higher than 10 percent for HTN is remanded due to lack of recent medical records and need for further examination. The issue of entitlement to an initial compensable rating for left ear hearing loss is also remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his military service and his current condition. The Board also found that hypertension is not among the conditions presumed to be related to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's pneumonia is granted as service connected. The Board has remanded several other issues for further development and consideration.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and recurrent sleep disability (obstructive sleep apnea) due to exposure, but did not specify a rating or effective date. The issue of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim for PTSD was also remanded.