Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2021

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for hypertension and TBI disability rating due to incomplete verification of service records and insufficient medical opinion regarding the impact of TBI on his symptoms.

The Board has granted a 10 percent disability rating for the Veteran's service-connected hypertension, but no higher. The decision is based on the Veteran's use of medication to control his blood pressure.

The Board has remanded the claims for sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. The RO is instructed to obtain service treatment records from the Veteran's reserve service and determine his periods of ACDUTRA and INACDUTRA. They are also required to obtain a new opinion on whether these conditions were caused or aggravated by his service-connected psychiatric disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hypertension.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to a lack of evidence showing that his current right ear hearing loss disability meets VA criteria.,The hypertension claim is remanded as there are insufficient medical opinions addressing whether it was related to service, including presumed exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection were dismissed due to his death.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development to address whether the Veteran's hypertension, GERD, and sleep apnea are related to his active duty service or secondary to his service-connected conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death, cardiac arrest, was caused by his service-connected condition, coronary artery disease (CAD), which began in service and continued throughout his life. Therefore, service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death is granted.

The Board has found that the development conducted does not adequately comply with prior Board remand directives and has therefore ordered further development to verify the Veteran's exposure to hazardous chemicals/gas, environmental toxins, and herbicides while stationed in South Korea.

The Board denied a higher initial rating for the Veteran's service-connected right radical nephrectomy with left nephropathy and hypertension, finding that the evidence did not show constant albuminuria or definite decrease in kidney function.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction. The cases are remanded for additional examinations to determine if these conditions are proximately due or aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected sleep apnea.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inaccurate factual premise in a previous opinion, and another opinion is required regarding whether hypertension is related to service or PTSD.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including chronic kidney disease, gastrointestinal disability, type II diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, left knee disability, right knee disability, vertigo, and hypothyroidism, all presumed to be related to exposure at Camp Lejeune. The claims were remanded for additional development.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient VA opinion regarding service connection for hypertension. The Veteran seeks service connection for his hypertension, which he contends is secondary to his service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder and/or exposure to chemical fumes during service.

The Board denied service connection for left knee, right knee, and left hand disabilities as well as hypertension. The claims were based on the Veteran's assertions of continuity of symptomatology since service but these were not supported by medical evidence or consistent with his prior statements.

The Veteran's current sleep apnea is found to be etiologically related to, or aggravated by, his service-connected adjustment disorder. The Board grants the claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to service-connected adjustment disorder.

Service connection for bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus type II (due to herbicide exposure), and hypertension is denied. The Veteran's hepatitis C and cirrhosis of liver are remanded for further development.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and hypertension is denied. Service connection for hepatitis C and cirrhosis of liver (secondary to hepatitis C) is also remanded.

The Board has determined that the VA medical opinions are inadequate and remands the case for further development, including obtaining updated treatment records and a new VA medical opinion to address the etiology of the Veteran's hypertension.

The Board has ordered remand for the VA to obtain medical opinions addressing the etiology of the Veteran's hypertension, joint pain, and residuals of cerebrovascular accident. The opinions must address whether these conditions are related to diabetes mellitus or herbicide exposure in service.

The Board has dismissed the appeals on all issues related to service connection for various conditions as the appellant died during the pendency of the appeal.