Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2023

The Veteran's hypertension is presumed to be related to herbicide agent exposure during service, and the Board grants this claim under the PACT Act.

The Veteran's request to review the denial of service connection for hypertension and hyperlipidemia was denied as untimely.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and an acquired psychiatric disability are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors, including the need to obtain complete service personnel records and treatment records. The Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disability is also remanded.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, prostate cancer, and diabetes mellitus, type II due to lack of evidence showing a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.

The Board has remanded the cases due to incomplete records and failure to obtain VA medical opinions. The Veteran's left knee disorder, right shoulder disorder, cardiovascular disorder, hypertension, and traumatic brain injury are all at issue.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining employment information from all employers identified by the Veteran and completing records from his participation in the CWT program. The claim for a compensable rating for hypertension is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including chronic kidney disease with hypertension and hairy cell leukemia, do not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment. The Board denied the claim for a TDIU.

The Veteran's hypertension and heart disability are granted with increased ratings, but the rating for sleep apnea is remanded due to new evidence. The Board also found that service connection for a heart disability secondary to hypertension is warranted.

The Board has remanded the following issues for further development: service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (other than PTSD). The Veteran's current diagnoses are being evaluated to determine if they had onset during his periods of active duty or were caused by a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further action on the issues of entitlement to an initial compensable rating for residuals of renal carcinoma and increased rating for Crohn's disease.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the Veteran's hypertension and its relationship to his service-connected cardiac arrhythmia. The case also involves potential exposure to refrigerant chemicals during military service.

The Veteran's service connection for hypertension, hypertensive heart disease, and left ventricular hypertrophy is granted. The Board finds that the Veteran meets the criteria for service connection as his current disabilities are at least as likely as not related to his active duty service.

The Board granted service connection for erectile dysfunction, prostate cancer, hypertension, a visual disability, motor abnormalities of the lower extremities, and an acquired psychiatric disability. The effective dates were determined based on various factors including prior claims and medical evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD with unspecified schizophrenia and other psychotic disorder. The appeal for service connection for diabetes mellitus, high cholesterol, a liver disorder, tinnitus, hypertension, septal infarct, a left foot disability, and a right foot disability has been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal.

The Veteran's essential hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, and erectile dysfunction are all found to be secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine condition.,A rating of 20 percent is granted for left lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy and right lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus is denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and renal disease is granted, with effective dates based on the date of receipt of claims.,Previously denied claims for service connection for OSA and an acquired psychiatric disability are reopened.

The Veteran's service connection for Female Sexual Arousal Disorder (FSAD) secondary to PTSD is granted. Service connection for an irregular heartbeat, including as secondary to service-connected tension headaches, and hypertension, including as secondary to service-connected PTSD, are also granted.

The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 70 percent from November 20, 2019 for PTSD is dismissed.,The Veteran's appeal for a compensable evaluation for allergic rhinitis is dismissed.,The Veteran's claim to reopen service connection for sinusitis based on receipt of new and material evidence is dismissed.,Service connection for hypertension prior to August 10, 2022 is granted due to the PACT Act.,Service connection for back disability is denied as there was no new and material evidence received.,Service connection for residuals of a stroke is remanded as there was no new and material evidence received.,Service connection for kidney disease is reopened but not granted, as there was no new and material evidence received.,Service connection for hypertension from August 10, 2022 pursuant to the PACT Act is granted.,Service connection for osteoporosis on a secondary basis is denied.,Service connection for OSA on a secondary basis is denied.,Service connection for bruxism on a secondary basis is denied.

The Veteran's hypertension has been rated as 10 percent disabling, and the Board is remanding his claim for service connection of left carpal tunnel syndrome due to incomplete compliance with previous remand directives.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings are being remanded due to the need for additional evidence from the USPS OIG regarding a prior investigation into compensation benefits fraud.