Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a heart disability, hypertension, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to inadequate medical evidence and failure to provide VA examinations. The Veteran's exposure to ionizing radiation during active service is also under consideration.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for an opinion regarding whether the Veteran's hypertension was caused or aggravated by his service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including right hip, left hip, right knee, left knee, right eye, and left eye disabilities. The Veteran's claims were remanded for further development regarding a low back disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for musculoskeletal chest wall pain, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus type II (DM) due to insufficient medical opinions addressing whether these conditions are secondary to his service-connected psychiatric disorder, lumbar and cervical spine disorders, or obesity.

The Board has granted service connection for status post right knee arthroscopy. The other issues of service connection have been remanded due to the need for VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hypertension, including whether it is related to service-connected PTSD and/or herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection for various disabilities. The AOJ is instructed to review new VA treatment and examination records that were not previously considered.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, diabetes, and cardiovascular issues, render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU and established basic eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance benefits.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and hypertension due to new evidence received since his last VA Form 9. A VA examination is needed to determine if these conditions are related to service, specifically the conceded herbicide exposure.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for hypertension and stroke residuals due to potential service connection issues. Additional medical opinions are needed to determine if the conditions had their onset during service or are related to any incident of service, including in-service elevated blood pressure readings and headaches.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee condition, hypertension, an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD, depression, and anxiety), left knee condition, and bilateral pes planus have been denied. The Veteran is being remanded for further examination and opinion regarding these issues.

The Veteran's hypertension is denied as there has not been substantial compliance with the Board's previous remand directives.,The Veteran's headache disorder and sleep apnea are remanded for further development due to inadequate medical opinions in the July 2021 VA medical opinion.,The Veteran's sinus condition and allergic rhinitis are remanded as there has not been substantial compliance with the Board's previous remand directives.,Service connection for hypertension is denied, service connection for a headache disorder is remanded, service connection for a sleep disorder (OSA) is remanded, service connection for sinus condition is remanded, and service connection for allergic rhinitis is remanded.

The appeals for service connection and rating of the Veteran's conditions have been dismissed. A 70 percent rating is granted for PTSD from May 23, 2012, and a TDIU rating is granted.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's service connection claim for hypertension, including as due to herbicide agent exposure, should be remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's death was caused by heart failure and COPD, which the private physician opined were due to untreated hypertension in service. The Board found that this evidence supported granting service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is related to in-service herbicide exposure and aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, granting service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and a low back disability have been granted. Service connection is established for these conditions based on direct evidence of their onset during or related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for chronic kidney disease due to potential exposure at Camp Lejeune. The Veteran's service in Vietnam is presumed, but not all diseases are listed as presumptively related to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's prostate cancer is granted service connection based on presumed exposure to herbicide agents. The claim for a higher rating for hypertension remains denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's in-service elevated blood pressure readings are sufficient to indicate a diagnosis of hypertension, and thus service connection for hypertension is granted.