Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2023

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for fatigue, hypertension (claimed as high blood pressure), erectile dysfunction, heart condition, type II diabetes mellitus, and depression have been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection for a cervical spine disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, obstructive sleep apnea, right hip disability, and left hip disability are being remanded for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension due to exposure to herbicide agents. The issues of anemia, seizure disorder, and sleep disorder are remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and hypertension due to exposure to herbicide agents. The remand is required because there is insufficient information to verify that aircraft or aircraft parts handled by the Veteran were exposed to herbicide agents during his military service.

The Veteran's hypertension and left knee surgical scar were denied compensable ratings. A separate 10 percent rating was granted for a painful scar associated with the left meniscus tear with Baker's cyst status post total knee replacement, effective March 4, 2020.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, hypertension, and left ear hearing loss disability due to lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.,There is no direct evidence linking the Veteran's current sleep apnea, hypertension, or left ear hearing loss disability to his military service.

The Veteran's request to reopen claims for service connection for hypertension and erectile dysfunction has been granted. Service connection is also granted for left eye diabetic retinopathy, bilateral hearing loss, right upper extremity diabetic neuropathy, left upper extremity diabetic neuropathy, right lower extremity diabetic neuropathy, and left lower extremity diabetic neuropathy.,The Veteran's request to reopen a claim for service connection for residuals of colon cancer has been denied. The Board also remanded the issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, due to new evidence suggesting it may be related to his sleep apnea.

The Veteran was granted a TDIU prior to September 29, 2016, due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following any substantially gainful occupation.,Initial ratings of 40 percent were granted for neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities, with an extraschedular rating for retinopathy.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development to address his claims of lumbosacral strain, hypertension, and a foot disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, blood clots of the right and left legs, and nerve damage of the left leg due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and insufficient examinations. The Veteran is seeking service connection for various orthopedic conditions, including lumbar spine degenerative disease, bilateral hips, knees, legs, and feet, as well as hypertension, jaw condition, and headaches.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for higher ratings for diabetes mellitus, diabetic nephropathy with bladder dysfunction, and hypertension. The Veteran was granted a TDIU.

The Veteran's cause of death is granted due to hypertension, which was related to presumed in-service exposure to herbicide agents. However, the Board finds that remand is necessary to verify if the Veteran was exposed to Agent Orange during service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension as secondary to his service-connected sleep apnea, finding that there is at least a 50% likelihood that his current hypertension is caused by his service-connected sleep apnea.

The Veteran's hypertension and congestive heart failure are granted service connection as they are related to his service in the Republic of Vietnam, specifically due to Agent Orange exposure.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, cerebrovascular disease, erectile dysfunction, and ulcerative colitis as there was no evidence of these conditions during or within one year after active service. The Veteran's reported exposures to herbicides were not verified.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension as the Veteran's blood pressure was within normal range during active service and there is no evidence of hypertension within one year of separation.

The Veteran's headaches had their onset during service, and the Board granted direct service connection for this condition.,Service connection was granted for hypertension under the PACT Act due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal because his August 31, 2018 Notice of Disagreement (NOD) was not timely filed within one year from the March 1, 2017 notification letter and February 2017 rating decision.

Service connection for right ear hearing loss and left ear hearing loss is denied.,Service connection for thoracic spine arthritis is granted based on continuity of symptoms since service. Service connection for asthma, sinusitis, rhinitis, and pulmonary disorder are remanded as the Veteran has not yet been examined for these conditions.,Service connection for heart disorder and chronic fatigue are remanded as the VA examiner did not provide an opinion regarding whether these disorders are due to undiagnosed illness or medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness.

The Veteran's hypertension was diagnosed during active duty service and is considered a presumptively service-connected condition.