Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2022

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea. Service connection for hypertension is remanded due to incomplete records and need for further examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of herbicide exposure during service and insufficient medical evidence linking the condition to active duty.

The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension and diabetes mellitus type II due to unclear opinions in the July 2018 VA examination. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it was not readjudicated in light of all service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his right knee disability and other musculoskeletal issues, rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as of April 19, 2019.

The Board has granted service connection for migraine headaches and reopened the claim for a sleep disability to include sleep apnea. The remaining issues have been remanded due to new evidence received since the last Supplemental Statement of the Case.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development and opinion regarding the Veteran's claims of service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and examination. The Veteran's PTSD claim is being remanded due to an inadequate VA examination, while his hypertension claim is being remanded for a retrospective opinion on the period from May 12, 2005 to June 15, 2006.

The Veteran's petition to reopen the claim of service connection for thyroid cancer has been granted. The Board finds that new and material evidence was received after a final decision, allowing the reopening of this claim.,Service connection is being remanded for variously diagnosed heart disability (including pulmonary hypertension and tricuspid valve regurgitation), variously diagnosed skin disability (Chloracne), bilateral hearing loss disability, right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, and left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy. The appeal will be returned to the Board after completion of development.,The Veteran's service connection claim for a variety of skin disabilities is being remanded due to lack of evidence related to exposure to herbicide agents. Further examination may be required to determine if any current skin disability is related to military service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to inadequate VA examinations and incomplete medical records. The Veteran's claims of service connection are not supported by the evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for heart disease, to include hypertension and cardiomegaly, finding that there is no current disability. The evidence did not support a finding of a current heart disability or a nexus between any diagnosed condition and service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is at least as likely as not related to herbicide exposure during service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, with type II diabetes mellitus and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy being granted as due to herbicide agent exposure. Service connection has also been granted for left and right lower extremity diabetic neuropathy secondary to his service-connected type II diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Board has received a request from the Veteran to withdraw all appeals regarding his PTSD, sleep apnea, irritable bowel syndrome, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. As a result, the appeals are dismissed.

The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension, heart disorder, and eye disorder due to insufficient opinions regarding service connection. The Veteran's conditions are related to his active service but need further clarification on the nature of the relationship.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petitions to reopen his previously denied claims for service connection for a heart condition, sleep apnea, DJD, and hypertension. The appeals are remanded for additional development regarding service connection for heart disease.

The Veteran's claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 are remanded due to the need for an independent medical expert (IME) opinion regarding whether VA failed to properly diagnose and treat his pituitary tumor prior to 2010, which may have led to permanent increases in severity of his hypertension, chronic kidney disease, loss of vision, and sexual dysfunction.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The claim for bronchitis was denied as the current level of disability does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating. For hypertension, a 10 percent evaluation is granted from August 30, 2019 to September 1, 2020 and denied thereafter. A 10 percent evaluation is also granted for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis of the spine and levoscoliosis prior to September 2, 2020.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD. The cases of left hip disability and hypertension are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease and hypertension, finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's active duty service.