Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2022

The Veteran's claim for service connection for rhinitis as a chronic respiratory condition is granted.,The claims for increased ratings and service connection are remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's claim for papillary bladder tumor residuals was dismissed. The petition to reopen his service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder is granted, but the issues of service connection for drug and alcohol abuse as secondary to an acquired psychiatric disorder and hypertension as secondary to an acquired psychiatric disorder and drug and alcohol abuse are remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for earlier effective dates due to a need for additional information regarding the qualifications of the VA examiner who provided an opinion on when the Veteran's nephropathy disability had its onset as a complication of service-connected diabetes.

The Veteran's cause of death was not related to his military service, specifically herbicide exposure.,Nonservice-connected burial benefits were denied as the Veteran did not have a pending claim for such benefits at the time of his death.

The Board has denied service connection for osteoarthritis of the back, right knee osteoarthritis, left knee osteoarthritis, diabetes mellitus type II, and hypertension as they are not shown to be related to military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right ear hearing loss disability and for a rating in excess of 0 percent for hypertension.,Right ear hearing loss was not incurred or aggravated by service, as there is no evidence of hearing impairment at separation. Hypertension did not manifest within one year after separation.

The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus, heart condition, hypertension, and respiratory condition due to potential in-service exposure to herbicide agents and/or JP4 jet fuel. The Veteran's service records indicate he worked on aircraft during his active duty.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disability (secondary to service-connected disabilities) and hypertension. However, additional development is needed before these claims can be decided on their merits.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and gastroesophageal reflux disease as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus type II.,Specifically, the Board found that there was no evidence of a nexus between the Veteran's hypertension, erectile dysfunction, or gastroesophageal reflux disease and his active duty service.

The Veteran's service connection for polycythemia is granted due to herbicide exposure. The earlier effective date claim for hypertension is denied as there was no prior formal or informal written communication indicating a claim before February 4, 2008.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for PTSD and service connection for various other conditions has been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for hypertension service connection, bilateral hearing loss rating, and TDIU prior to July 2, 2016.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, and hypertension are all granted service connection as secondary to his service-connected disabilities. The TDIU is granted effective February 28, 2004.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, with the exception of his claim for hypertension and erectile dysfunction. The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an examination and provide opinions regarding these conditions.

The Veteran withdrew her appeals for the issues of hypertension, left leg/calf disability, left ear hearing loss, coronary artery disease (CAD), and a neck disability.,The Veteran's current left shoulder disability was not shown to be due to an in-service event, injury, or disease.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death is service-connected, with hypertension being a contributory factor. The decision resolves doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran withdrew all his appeals, including those related to PTSD, MDD, sleep apnea, left shoulder strain, recurrent headaches, hypertension, DDD of the lumbar spine, cervical DDD, right upper extremity radiculopathy, left upper extremity radiculopathy, and a heart condition.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted service connection based on presumed exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam. Service connection for psoriasis, cervical spine disability, and peripheral neuropathies of the upper and lower extremities are also granted as secondary to herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for COPD, bronchitis, PTSD, hypertension, and hypertensive heart disease due to lack of evidence supporting a direct link between these conditions and military service. The claims are also remanded for additional medical opinions regarding potential links to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a sleep disorder and hypertension have been reopened. The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been presented to reopen the claims, but the issues of service connection remain pending as they are remanded due to inadequate examination in the previous rating decision.