Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2023

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection of erectile dysfunction as secondary to his service-connected coronary artery disease and hypertension, based on the opinion that these conditions contribute to or cause the erectile dysfunction.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions are remanded due to the need for additional development and evidence.

The reduction in disability rating for persistent depressive disorder from 50% to 30% is not supported by the weight of evidence and a 50% disability rating is restored.,An effective date earlier than June 27, 2017, for the grant of service connection for persistent depressive disorder is denied.,Service connection for a low back disorder is granted.,Service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to a low back disorder is granted.,Initial rating in excess of 50% for persistent depressive disorder prior to April 3, 2023, and in excess of 70% thereafter is remanded.,Entitlement to service connection for hypertension is remanded.,Entitlement to service connection for migraines is remanded.,Entitlement to service connection for a right shoulder disorder is remanded.

The Veteran's asthma, tinnitus, and related conditions are now service-connected. The Board has determined that additional examinations and remands are necessary for further analysis of the remaining issues.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension (HTN), and diabetes mellitus, type II (DM II) are all granted as service-connected due to exposure to PFAS in contaminated drinking water at Fort Huachuca, Arizona.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for PTSD and acne has been dismissed.,Service connection for TBI is granted, but the claim for hypertension secondary to service-connected PTSD or sleep apnea remains pending.

The Board has remanded the claims of diabetic neuropathy and service connection for diabetic nephropathy. The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II is currently rated at 20 percent, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted due to his current treatment regimen.

The Veteran's initial compensable evaluation for hypertension is denied, and his prostate cancer residuals with BPH rating is reduced from 100% to 40%. The restoration of special monthly compensation (SMC) under the provisions of 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s) is also denied.

The Board denied service connection for unspecified psychiatric disorder, hypertension, and OSA as there is no persuasive evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.

Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, and tinnitus is granted effective November 20, 2015.,Service connection for prostatitis is granted effective November 20, 2015.,Service connection for allergic rhinitis is granted effective November 20, 2015. This issue is granted pursuant to the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxins Act of 2022 (PACT Act).,Service connection for sinusitis is granted on a secondary basis due to allergic rhinitis.,Effective dates prior to November 20, 2015, are denied for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, and tinnitus.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of VA examinations. The Veteran's service stressors have also been developed for review.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for hypertension was denied as his blood pressure readings did not meet the criteria for a 10 percent disability rating under DC 7101.

The Veteran's requests to reopen claims for service connection for GERD, a heart condition, hypertension, peripheral neuropathy in the bilateral upper and lower extremities, and PTSD with anxiety and depression have been granted. The Board has considered new evidence that was not previously of record at the time of the prior final rating decision.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted based on the PACT Act, presumptively associated with herbicide exposure in Vietnam.,There is insufficient evidence to establish service connection for polycythemia vera and ulcerative colitis.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for an expert medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities have caused or aggravated his hyperlipidemia, and if so, whether this condition has caused or aggravated any of his other conditions beyond its natural progression.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for migraine headaches is being remanded due to the need for a VA opinion regarding whether his current migraines are caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes, hypertension, or PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to June 30, 2022, for the grant of a TDIU on an extraschedular basis is being remanded due to a duty to assist error. The Board finds that there is a reasonable possibility that he was unemployable by reason of service-connected disabilities during this period.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for cataracts, hypertension, a lung disorder, a lumbar spine disorder, right hip disorder, left hip disorder, right knee disorder, and left knee disorder are all denied as there is no evidence of in-service incurrence or continuity of symptoms post-service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension due to new and material evidence. The right ear hearing loss claim is denied as there is no current diagnosis of hearing loss. Service connection for hypertension is remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension was denied in a final June 1995 rating decision. New and material evidence has not been received to reopen this claim.,A rating of 50 percent for residuals, left skull trauma, is discontinued from July 26, 2018 due to impermissible evaluation under two separate ratings.