Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2023

The Veteran's service-connected residuals of renal cell carcinoma, including partial removal of the right kidney with hypertension, resulted in a 100 percent rating from September 16, 2023, due to persistent edema and albuminuria.

The Board has remanded the case for further examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's vascular disability, to include blocked carotid arteries and hypertension. The decision on service connection for obstructive sleep apnea remains denied.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for hypertension has been denied.,The Board has also remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and headaches, both of which are secondary to his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for GERD, hypertension, skin condition, sleep apnea, nosebleeds, right wrist condition, and left hip condition due to inadequate VA medical opinions. The Veteran contends that these conditions are secondary to his service-connected knee disabilities.

The Veteran's hypertension, which has been service-connected since 1995 and requires continuous medication for control, is granted an initial increased rating of 10 percent.

The Veteran's appeals for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, type II (DMII), and prostate cancer have been dismissed due to his death. The Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of these claims as he died during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has denied a compensable disability rating for service-connected hypertension, finding that the Veteran's blood pressure readings have not consistently met the criteria for a higher rating under VA regulations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic headache disability, diabetes, and hypertension were denied. The claim for GERD was granted with a rating of 60 percent but no higher.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, chronic headaches, lower back disability, sleep apnea, and hypertension, all of which are found to be directly related to the Veteran's active-duty service.

The Board has denied service connection for multiple conditions, including right hip disorder replacement, eczema, right shoulder rotator cuff chronic residuals, degenerative disc disease of the cervical, hypertension, left shoulder rotator cuff chronic residuals, right knee DJD, left hip disorder replacement, and lumbosacral neuritis radiculitis thoracic, all of which are determined to not be related to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to insufficient medical opinions regarding his exposure to toxic substances during service and their relationship to his current disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's service-connected conditions and his death, as well as the potential impact of in-service herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for pulmonary hypertension and chronic atrial fibrillation with stage IV heart failure due to insufficient evidence, including a lack of rationale in Dr. Rubright's opinion. The Veteran is required to provide private medical records from Dr. Erik M. Rubright at OSF Medical Group.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus type II, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity, hypothyroidism, and hypertension, render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation. As such, he is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has remanded multiple claims for service connection due to the need for additional evidence and medical opinions regarding the Veteran's claimed conditions.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for HTN was denied. The claim for non-compensable rating for hypothyroidism from June 9, 2022 to December 9, 2022 was granted. However, the claim for compensable rating for hypothyroidism since December 9, 2022 was denied.

Service connection for type II diabetes mellitus due to herbicide agent exposure is granted.,Service connection for hypertension (claimed as hypertension with high cholesterol) is granted pursuant to the PACT Act.,Service connection for sleep apnea is remanded.,Service connection for a disability manifested by tremors, to include Parkinson's disease, is remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral leg disability and remanded the issue of service connection for hypertension due to a duty to assist error.

Service connection is granted for coronary artery disease, prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus type II, and hypertension on a presumptive basis due to exposure to herbicide agents.,The Veteran's bladder disorder, status-post bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy, shortness of breath, sleep apnea, GERD, erectile dysfunction, and renal deficiency are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted a 10 percent rating, but no higher. The claim for service connection of bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.