Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient compliance with prior remand instructions regarding the etiology of hypertension. The Veteran's claim for service connection for a cardiovascular disorder, including hypertension, dilated cardiomyopathy, and congestive heart failure, is being returned for further development.

The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and an increased rating for multinodular goiter due to incomplete development of evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) have been denied as there is no evidence of a chronic condition first manifesting during or within one year after service, nor any link to service. The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension was not related to his active service due to lack of in-service diagnosis and its onset several years post-service.

The Veteran's hypertension is not service connected as due to herbicide agent exposure, but a VA examiner opined that it may be related to his service-connected ischemic heart disease.

The Veteran's right knee disability is granted service connection, but hypertension and other spine, hip, and ankle disabilities are not. The claims for cervical spine, lumbar spine, hip, and ankle disabilities, as well as the rating of left knee disability in excess of 10 percent, and entitlement to TDIU are remanded.

The Veteran's service connection claims for depression, anxiety, PTSD, low back condition, right hand condition, hypertension, and memory loss have been granted. The claim for increased disability rating in excess of 30 percent for right shoulder condition and increased initial disability rating for right knee condition remain denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination, and a new medical opinion is needed regarding the Veteran's cause of death.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but has remanded the cases of right shoulder pain/arthritis and hypertension due to lack of documentation in the service or post-service records.

The Board has remanded the case due to concerns about the sufficiency of the VA examiner's opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's hypertension and his in-service exposure to herbicide agents. The examiner did not consider the length of time the Veteran smoked prior to diagnosis, which could be a significant factor.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension and renal cell carcinoma residuals due to in-service herbicide exposure, as there is insufficient evidence on record regarding their etiology.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and an acquired psychiatric disorder (MDD) based on presumed exposure to herbicide agents while serving in the Republic of Vietnam. The Veteran's current conditions are found to be related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions and missing records. The case will be returned for further development, including a VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prior to September 30, 2014 rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The appeal concerning entitlement to service connection for erectile dysfunction is dismissed.,The appeals concerning initial increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and PTSD are dismissed.

The Veteran's initial rating for chronic kidney disease with hypertension is granted at 60 percent, effective from February 5, 2013. The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted prior to August 4, 2016.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including sleep disorder, arches disability, right shoulder disability, hypertension, cervical spine disability, left knee disability (knee strain), and headaches have all been denied. The Board found no current disabilities related to service or secondary to a service-connected condition.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his in-service exposures and his current condition. The preponderance of the evidence does not support the finding that the Veteran's hypertension had its onset during service or is related to his service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for hypertension, coronary artery disease (CAD), and diabetes mellitus, type II (DM II) have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeals.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding no evidence of its onset during or within one year after service and no link to service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and adjudication due to incomplete medical records from Dr. Cook.