Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2022

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for COPD, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, hepatitis C, and MRSA infection have been withdrawn. The appeal for service connection for PTSD has been reopened due to new evidence received more than one year after the April 2010 decision. Service connection is remanded for vertigo (balance problems), Meniere's syndrome, tremors, sleep apnea, and TDIU.

The Board has granted service connection for GERD as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bipolar disorder and hypertension, both of which are related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to procedural errors in obtaining medical records, the need for new VA examinations, and the need for additional etiology opinions.,The TDIU claim is also being remanded as it is intertwined with other issues that have been remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between her claimed conditions and active service, particularly vaccinations in basic training.

The Veteran's service-connected persistent depressive disorder is now rated at 70 percent, effective December 20, 2017. His hypertension is also granted as secondary to his service-connected condition.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a heart condition, hypertension, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to potential conflicts in medical opinions and need for additional development.

The Board has denied service connection for sleep apnea and hypertension, finding that the evidence does not support a causal link to service or any related conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a skin condition, lung condition, hypertension, and sleep apnea have been remanded due to the need for further development.,Service connection has not been established for any of these conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine if the appellant's hypertension is related to his time as a cook in the National Guard.

The Veteran's death was not due to any service-connected conditions, and the appellant did not file a claim for accrued benefits within one year of his death. Therefore, she is denied accrued benefits.

The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for hypertension and TDIU due to service-connected disability, as these issues are intertwined with the hearing loss claim. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and gout have been denied. The Veteran's left knee and right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome claims are also denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate discussion of direct service connection and a need for an opinion on whether current hypertension is related to service, given elevated blood pressure readings in service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to the need to obtain private medical records from a VA examiner who reviewed these records but did not have them in the claims file.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and diabetes, both potentially related to herbicide exposure. The decision also includes a remand for further research into whether the Veteran was present on the ground in Vietnam during his military service, which could affect the presumption of herbicide exposure.

The Board has dismissed all appeals regarding the Veteran's service connection claims due to his death.

The petition to reopen claims for service connection for various conditions has been granted. The issues of entitlement to service connection for anemia, a heart disability (claimed as angina), and dry eye disability are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to his reported in-service injuries and ongoing musculoskeletal disabilities. The Veteran is also required to have his complete service personnel records verified, including any service in Vietnam or its surrounding waterways. Additionally, a VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's current diagnoses of diabetes mellitus, Type II, and hypertension are related to his period of active service.

The Veteran's appeals for various conditions have been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran during the appeal process.