Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to new evidence submitted by the appellant, and further examination is needed to determine if his current conditions are related to his in-service exposure at Fort McClellan.

The Veteran's hypertension and pseudofolliculitis barbae are being remanded for further evaluation due to reported worsening of symptoms.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral knee disabilities, digestive system disorder (IBS and GERD), hypertension, and bilateral hearing loss due to inadequate opinions in the June 2021 VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension and blurred vision due to missing service treatment records. The Veteran is advised of alternative sources he can provide in place of these records.

The Board has granted service connection for erectile dysfunction, finding it secondary to the Veteran's service-connected other specified trauma and stressor-related disorder. Service connection for hypertension was denied as not related to the Veteran's service-connected condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his hypertension and his active duty service or presumed exposure to herbicide agents. The Board also found that hypertension did not manifest within one year of separation from service.

The Veteran's hypertension is being remanded for further evaluation due to the potential aggravation by his service-connected tension headaches.

The Veteran's PTSD with migraine headaches, hysterectomy, and lower back disorder are all granted. The Veteran is also granted a 10 percent disability rating for hypertension from February 14, 2018 to June 7, 2019.

The Board has determined that the grant of service connection for diabetes mellitus, erectile dysfunction, onychomycosis, nephropathy, bladder dysfunction, renal hypertension, peripheral neuropathies, and bowel dysfunction was clearly erroneous due to lack of objective evidence supporting these diagnoses.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis, restrictive ventilatory defect, and multiple musculoskeletal conditions, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted the TDIU claim.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including residuals of a brain aneurysm, bilateral eye disorder, right-side stroke residuals, hypertension, heart disorder, acquired psychiatric disorder, vertigo, nerve damage to include loss of muscle in the brain, and arthritis. The Board found no evidence that these conditions are related to service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) as his combined rating is only 60 percent, which does not rise to the threshold needed. The Board found that there was no evidence of inability to work due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate opinions and new evidence is needed regarding the Veteran's hypertension, including its potential connection to service-connected PTSD and exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board denied service connection for Reye's Syndrome, sleep apnea, and hypertension as these conditions are not related to the Veteran's active duty service.,There is no evidence of a current diagnosis of Reye's Syndrome, sleep apnea, or hypertension during or within one year after separation from service.

The Board has denied service connection for diabetes mellitus and remanded the issues of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD and depression) and hypertension as secondary to an acquired psychiatric disability. The case is being remanded for further development.

Service connection for left ear hearing loss is granted.,Service connection for high blood pressure is denied.,Service connection for squamous cell carcinoma is denied.

The claims for service connection for hypertension and arthritis/polymyositis are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted, as the Board finds that his current diagnosis of tinnitus is at least as likely as not attributable to in-service noise exposure. The claims for duodenal ulcer and residuals of gallbladder removal surgery are denied due to lack of evidence of a current condition.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension is remanded, as further examination is needed to determine the etiology of his claimed condition.,The Veteran's claims for sinus condition and headache condition are remanded, as VA examinations are needed to evaluate their nature and likely etiology.,The Veteran's claim for skin condition is remanded, as an addendum VA dermatology examination is needed to diagnose any current conditions and determine their likely etiology.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's hypertension and diabetes mellitus type II are not service-connected. The claims for diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity and right lower extremity have been remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for shortness of breath is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.,The Veteran's hypertension, to include as secondary to a psychiatric disorder, and low libido, to include as secondary to hypertension, are remanded due to inadequate opinion regarding exposure to herbicide agents.,The Veteran's residuals of a cerebrovascular accident (CVA), to include as secondary to hypertension, and psychiatric disorder are also remanded for clarification on the nature and etiology of these conditions.