Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the claims for tinnitus and hypertension due to insufficient rationale in the VA examiners' opinions. The Veteran's tinnitus is related to his hearing loss, but not directly caused by military noise exposure. His hypertension is linked to elevated blood pressure readings during service.

The Veteran's GERD/acid indigestion is granted a higher initial evaluation of 30 percent effective November 21, 2017. The Veteran's hypertension case has been remanded for additional review.

The Board dismissed the appeals regarding service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, hypertension, and a heart disability (including coronary artery disease, status post myocardial infarction with coronary artery bypass graft). The appellant withdrew his appeal in full.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as service-connected. The Board finds that the Veteran has a current disability of neck disability and Raynaud's Disease, but remands for additional examination to determine if these conditions are related to service or other disabilities.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary before the claims for increased ratings and service connection can be adjudicated on the merits. The Veteran's representative requested information about the qualifications of the VA examiners who provided the May 2023 examination reports, June 2023 addendum opinions, and the internal medicine physician's opinion with respect to hypertension.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection have been dismissed. The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's disabilities, including right hip disability, left hip disability, PTSD, radiculopathy of the upper extremities, rotator cuff tendonitis strain of the shoulder, bilateral feet disabilities, neck disability, back disability, sciatica of the lower extremities, and wrist and ankle disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU prior to July 26, 2014 are being remanded due to the assignment of a combined disability evaluation of 100 percent with his coronary artery disease rated as 100 percent disabling from that date onward.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and initial evaluations are remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Veteran's hypertension and/or hypertensive heart disease, type II diabetes, and diabetic neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities are all granted as they meet the criteria for presumptive service connection due to herbicide exposure under the PACT Act.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations to determine current disability levels.

The Board has denied service connection for Parkinson's Disease, diabetes mellitus, left lower extremity diabetic neuropathy, right lower extremity diabetic neuropathy, and hypertension as these conditions are not related to active service or herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's hypertension is now presumed related to his in-service herbicide exposure, and service connection for this condition from August 10, 2022, is granted. The claims of cirrhosis of the liver and sleep apnea are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions addressing secondary service connection.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as service-connected due to direct evidence linking it to his military service.,Service connection for an eye injury is denied because there is no current diagnosis of such a condition.,A 70 percent rating for PTSD with alcohol abuse is granted, reflecting the severity of symptoms and impairment.

The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension and erectile dysfunction due to inadequate VA examinations. The Veteran's conditions are being reviewed again with new medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for an initial 10 percent evaluation for hypertension was granted, effective August 10, 2022. The Board found that the Veteran needed continuous medication for his hypertension and had at least one blood pressure reading of 160 or more systolic. An earlier effective date prior to August 10, 2022 is denied due to the PACT Act's retroactivity rules.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the failure to obtain VA treatment records and inadequate VA examinations. The Veteran is requested to provide names, addresses, and dates of treatment for all VA and non-VA health care providers who have treated him for his disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, hypothyroidism, and dry eyes due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Board has remanded the cases of hypertension and transient ischemic attack for further examination and opinion to address the nature, onset, etiology, and relationship to service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2), and left Achilles tendon condition. The evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and active service.,Service connection was denied because there is no credible evidence showing that any of these conditions began during or were otherwise related to the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's requests to reopen claims for tinnitus and hearing loss were denied. Service connection for PTSD was granted at a rating of 70 percent, effective from the date of the decision.