Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2021

The Board denied service connection for the causes of death (carcinoma of the lung and hypertensive cardiovascular disease) as they are not related to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted the reopening of the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, and remanded it to the RO for further development including an examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a skin disorder has been reopened, but the Board finds no evidence to support his current diagnosis and thus denies the claim.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea is denied as there is insufficient medical evidence linking his current condition to his military service.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for right shoulder disorder is denied due to a lack of diagnosed disability or credible medical opinion linking it to service.,The Veteran's claim for residuals of cerebrovascular disease (CVA) is denied as there is insufficient medical evidence linking the current condition to his military service.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension is remanded, indicating further investigation and evidence may be needed.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and TDIU due to the Veteran's current diagnoses not being related to his military service, but granted a TDIU for certain periods based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions and the need for updated treatment records. The Veteran's hypertension claim will be reviewed again with a new examination.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for various conditions due to potential changes in the Veteran's character of discharge from his period of service. The appeal is not about a presumption, exposure basis, or new and material evidence.

The Board has remanded the claims for proctalgia fugax, neck disability, left foot disability, hypertension, and bilateral hearing loss due to incomplete verification of service dates. Further examination is needed to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, other than his PTSD, did not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation. The Board denied the TDIU claim as the Veteran’s remaining service-connected disabilities do not result in an inability to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as service-connected due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during Vietnam service. The scar of the lumbar spine remains denied, and hypothyroidism and hepatitis C are remanded for further review.,An initial compensable rating for scarring head to toe is denied, and an acquired psychiatric disorder claim is also remanded.

The Veteran's heart condition and hypertension were not shown as chronic in service, did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period, and are not otherwise etiologically related to an in-service injury or disease.,The bilateral eye disorder was not shown as chronic in service and is not otherwise etiologically related to an in-service injury or disease.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a heart disability and COPD with pulmonary tuberculosis due to in-service exposure to an herbicide agent. The heart disability claim is pending, while the COPD with pulmonary tuberculosis claim requires additional development including obtaining private treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's hypertension and back disability are found to be related to his military service, with the rating for hypertension being increased to 30 percent.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hypertension.

The Veteran died of bilateral acute ischemic strokes, due to or as a consequence of intracranial hemorrhage, due to or as a consequence of metastatic melanoma to the brain. The Board found that these conditions were not service-connected at the time of his death and did not have their onset during active service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's hypertension is secondary to his service-connected muscle pain syndrome, probable fibrositis.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's hypertension may be service-connected as secondary to his psychiatric disability and/or diabetes, but an additional examination is needed to determine if there was any aggravation of the condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and MDD with additional conditions like atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, chronic lumbosacral strain, left elbow epicondylitis, bilateral plantar fasciitis, left shoulder tendonitis, bilateral tinnitus, and hypertension, have rendered him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment prior to February 19, 2015. The Veteran is now eligible for a TDIU based on his MDD with PTSD alone, which meets the criteria for SMC at the housebound rate.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals as he withdrew all his pending appeals through his authorized representative.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for pulmonary hypertension, to include as due to asbestos exposure, finding that there is not enough evidence to support a link between his current condition and his military service.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted service connection due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents. Service connection for MDD, alcohol use disorder, and OSA as secondary to a psychiatric disability are denied.