Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2022

The Board denied service connection for a heart condition and a respiratory condition, finding that the evidence does not support a link between these conditions and active service.,The Veteran's claims were based on exposure to chemicals at Fort Ord and Gordon, but the Board found no credible evidence linking his current conditions to this exposure.

The Board has dismissed the issue of service connection for high cholesterol. Service connection for tuberculosis, PTSD, left ear hearing loss, heart disability, hypertension, and back disability is denied. These issues are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied for bilateral hearing loss, type II diabetes mellitus, kidney disorder (to include secondary to type II diabetes mellitus), and bilateral eye disorder (to include secondary to type II diabetes mellitus). The remaining issues are remanded for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for tension or muscle contraction headaches, hypertension, status post cholecystectomy, and abdominal scarring associated with the cholecystectomy. The issues of service connection for a right foot disability, left foot disability, right Achilles tendinitis, left Achilles tendinitis, right ankle disability, left ankle disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, low back disability, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), jaundiced eyes with a residual left eye scar, and dermatitis are remanded.

The Board has denied service connection for pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular hypertrophy, finding that the evidence is in approximate balance as to whether these conditions are related to active service or service-connected bronchitis. The Veteran's current diagnoses of pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular hypertrophy have not been established.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for anemia and hypertension due to inadequate previous opinions. The Veteran's anemia may be related to heavy menstrual bleeding, but her cholecystectomy residuals or in-service environmental exposures are not considered likely causes. Her hypertension is also not considered related to service-connected conditions or in-service environmental exposures.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, DM II with erectile dysfunction and hypertension, peripheral neuropathy, and cataracts, have been shown to prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension is being remanded due to insufficient medical evidence of a nexus between the condition and his service-connected disabilities. The case will be returned for further development, including obtaining additional treatment records and scheduling an appropriate VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed acquired psychiatric disability, hypertension, and speech disability are not service-connected due to lack of credible evidence supporting their onset or connection to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disability, including transient ischemic attack and hypertension, due to herbicide exposure. Additional development is needed to obtain relevant medical records and an addendum opinion regarding whether these conditions are related to service, particularly considering the updated findings on Agent Orange exposure from the National Academy of Sciences.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete information about his periods of service and need for additional medical opinions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, a skin disorder, and bilateral avascular necrosis of the hip (AVN), finding that there was no evidence to support these claims. The Board noted that the Veteran served in Vietnam and thus was presumed exposed to herbicides, but found that his hypertension did not have its onset during service or within one year following service discharge, nor is it otherwise related to service. Similarly, the Board found insufficient evidence linking a skin disorder or AVN to service.

The Board denied service connection for gout, degenerative arthritis of the thoracic spine, and hypertension as they are not related to service or a service-connected disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for clarification on whether the Veteran's hypertension is worsened by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, and if diabetic nephropathy is present.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disability, including hypertension and related conditions, finding that there was no evidence of their onset in service or within one year of separation from active duty.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, finding that the evidence did not support a finding of direct or secondary service connection due to lack of temporal relationship between service and diagnosis.

The Veteran's appeal was remanded due to the death of the appellant, and the need for a substitution determination. The claims will be returned to the AOJ for further action.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and his period of active service or any service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension and bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran will need to undergo VA examinations to determine if his conditions manifested during service, were caused by exposure to Agent Orange or military acoustic trauma, and whether they are related to his active duty.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection for various musculoskeletal and neurological disabilities, including arthritis of the knees, ankles, feet, and low back, as well as headaches and hypertension. The remand requires obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.