Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2022

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss is dismissed. Service connection is granted for ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension due to presumed exposure to herbicides during service. The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy claims are remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including respiratory illness (allergic rhinitis with sinusitis), nosebleeds, heart condition, hypertension, thyromegaly, prostate cancer, bladder cancer, and diabetes mellitus have been granted. The decision also remanded the claim for service connection for nosebleeds as secondary to sinusitis.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and to determine if there is any service connection, especially regarding hypertension and diabetes mellitus type II. The Veteran's reported exposure to herbicide agents in Louisiana during his military service is also under review.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions are granted, including sleep apnea, heart disorder, hypertension, left hip disability, low back disability, and tinnitus. The Board finds the evidence in relative equipoise regarding these claims.,However, several new issues of entitlement to service connection have been identified, such as chest pain, dyspnea, right foot stress fracture, right hip disability, osteoporosis, right shoulder disability, tremors, asthma, blepharitis, lipoma of the chest, and kidney stones. These claims are currently pending for further review.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as service-connected due to presumed exposure to Agent Orange during his Vietnam service.,The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type 2, is denied for an evaluation in excess of 20 percent. The evidence does not show the need for regulation of activities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, including due to herbicide exposure, finding no evidence of a relationship between his current condition and his military service.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of his service connection claims for various conditions.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, heart disability, kidney disability, peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, hyperlipoproteinemia, prostate disability, sinus disability, scotoma, and respiratory disorder are all remanded for further development.,Service connection is being remanded for the Veteran's heart disability, kidney disability, peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, hypertension, hyperlipoproteinemia, prostate disability (benign prostatic hypertrophy), sinus disability (allergic rhinitis), scotoma, and respiratory disorder.

The Veteran's appeal for TDIU has been remanded due to the need for further development. The appeal seeking to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for hypertension is dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his request prior to the Board's decision.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that it is related to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for increased disability ratings for right knee strain, hypertension prior to January 7, 2020, hypertension from January 7, 2020, allergic rhinitis, and bilateral hearing loss.,The Veteran also withdrew his appeals for the same issues.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as the medical evidence does not support a finding of unemployability due to his conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for allergic rhinitis is granted due to exposure in Southwest Asia. Service connection for left ear hearing loss, hypertension, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or relationship to service. The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability is remanded for further examination.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for cause of death due to hypertension and cardiopulmonary arrest, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to service or presumed herbicide exposure.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for accrued benefits based on pending claims for service connection for lumbar spine, cervical spine, bilateral upper extremity, and heart disabilities as no substantive appeal was filed.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment, as evidenced by his intermittent employment and significant earnings during periods of unemployment.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for PTSD and hypertension have been withdrawn. The appeal regarding the increased rating for residuals of a fracture of the left ankle is remanded, as well as the issue of service connection for OSA.

The Veteran was found unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities from July 2, 2007 to August 19, 2010.

The Board has remanded the claims for brain aneurysm, vertigo, double vision, hypertension, and tinnitus due to inadequate opinions regarding service connection. The Veteran is presumed exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include generalized anxiety disorder. The issues of service connection for CAD, diabetes mellitus, type II, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities are remanded due to inextricably intertwined with the denial of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder.