Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2021

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric condition is granted as secondary to his service-connected orthopedic conditions. Various issues of service connection and disability ratings are also granted or remanded.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is granted as accrued benefits. The left and right knee disabilities, dementia, and hypertension are denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for a right shoulder condition, low back disability, right knee condition, and high blood pressure due to new evidence added to the record.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for hypertension prior to March 13, 2019 is denied. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a compensable rating for hypertension prior to March 13, 2019. From March 13, 2019, the Veteran's hypertension disability picture did not more closely approximate the criteria required for a higher 20 percent rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of verification regarding the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during his military service. The AOJ is instructed to contact appropriate entities, including JSRRC, to verify if the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents while stationed at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines and on temporary duty to CCK Air Base in Taiwan.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain the Veteran's service treatment records and to clarify his reported in-service hospitalization. The claims for service connection are therefore being remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, erectile dysfunction (ED), diabetes mellitus, right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, and left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy have been dismissed due to the death of the appellant prior to a final decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that it was not incurred during his period of active service and is unrelated to any service-connected disabilities. The Board also found that hypertension was not caused or aggravated by diabetes mellitus or peripheral neuropathy.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and ESRD, to include as secondary to hypertension, due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of his hypertension.

The Board has granted service connection for headaches and asbestosis (claimed as lung cancer), but denied all other claims, including those related to heart condition, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, seizure disorder, stroke, and dementia due to herbicide exposure. The claim for service connection for hyperlipemia was also denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development and readjudication due to incomplete fulfillment of the August 2018 remand directives.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment for the period from November 15, 2012 to February 15, 2013, and granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for narcolepsy, a back disability, hypertension, right leg disability, and left leg disability due to new evidence showing they are related to an in-service personal assault. The claims are granted.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for hypertension and entitlement to TDIU due to the need for a medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's hypertension and his service-connected DM, as well as other relevant factors.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to inadequate medical opinions and missing records. The Veteran's claims of service connection for sleep apnea and hypertension are currently pending.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes and hypertension have been denied as there is no evidence of a direct relationship between the conditions and his military service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's previously denied claims for service connection for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, type II, TBI, left hip disability, and left knee disability. The claims are now remanded to obtain VA examinations and determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities is granted as secondary to his service-connected diabetes. His eye condition and hypertension are denied as not related to his service-connected diabetes.

The Board has remanded the case for an addendum VA opinion to determine if the Veteran's hypertension is related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus or herbicide exposure.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and heart disorder, finding that the conditions did not manifest during periods of active duty or were not aggravated by such service.