Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2022

The Veteran's appeals for increased PTSD rating, hypertension service connection, erectile dysfunction service connection (secondary to PTSD), and TDIU have been dismissed as the Veteran has withdrawn his appeals.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether hypertension is related to service, herbicide exposure, or prostate cancer.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of new evidence. The issues include GERD, high blood pressure, and bronchiectasis/bronchitis.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's hypertension, including whether it is related to his service-connected conditions or caused by medications. The VA will obtain additional records and provide a supplemental opinion on these issues.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and hypertension are remanded due to missing medical records and the need for additional examinations. The examiner must determine if any pre-existing conditions were aggravated by service, or if there is a relationship between current diagnoses and service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a seizure disorder was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a current diagnosis of a seizure disorder. For TDIU, the Veteran is granted as his service-connected disabilities preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment. SMC based upon need for aid and attendance or being housebound remains pending due to lack of recent VA examination.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient documentation of VA treatment records from prior to August 2007, which are referenced by examiners. The AOJ needs to ensure these records are associated with the claims file.

The Board has found that the medical opinions obtained by the AOJ are inadequate for adjudicative purposes and therefore, a further remand is necessary to allow the Veteran to fully develop his claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, depressive disorder, diabetes mellitus Type II, hypertension, and diabetic nephropathy are being remanded due to the need for further development regarding his reported in-service stressors and exposure history.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, but the issue of service connection for bilateral foot tinea pedis with onychomycosis remains pending and remanded.,Service connection is being considered for the Veteran's bilateral foot condition. The decision regarding this claim will be determined after further review.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not begin during service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease. The Board also found no evidence of secondary service connection due to his service-connected ischemic heart disease and concluded there was insufficient evidence to establish a causal relationship between hypertension and herbicide exposure.

The Board has denied service connection for hypertension, coronary artery disease, and diabetes mellitus, type II with peripheral neuropathy as the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to military service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, erectile dysfunction, a headache disorder, peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity, and peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity as they are not related to active duty service or secondary to a service-connected condition.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for hypertension prior to October 2, 2014 has been dismissed.,For the period prior to October 2, 2014, the Veteran's service-connected musculoskeletal headaches have been granted a 30 percent rating.

The Veteran's epididymitis and left testicular varicocele/hydrocele are rated at a 10% disability rating, effective from the date of the decision. The Veteran's hypertension is also rated at a 10% disability rating, effective from the date of the decision.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for scar residual of right thumb injury is granted. Claims for chronic kidney disease, atherosclerotic heart disease (coronary artery disease (CAD)) and congestive heart failure (CHF), sleep apnea, and hypertension are denied.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development, including obtaining private treatment records and providing medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hypertension, kidney disability, and acquired psychiatric disability.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for hypertension, as it is unclear whether there is a causal link between the condition and herbicide exposure during service. The Veteran's claim will be reconsidered with an addendum opinion addressing this issue.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete military personnel records and a need for further development regarding asbestos exposure. The claims will be reviewed again with these additional pieces of evidence.

The Veteran's bilateral plantar fasciitis and hypertension have been granted initial ratings. The issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded, as are the issues of increased rating for GERD.