Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2023

The Board has decided to remand four issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims and one issue regarding a TDIU prior to September 12, 2019. The main reasons for remanding are to obtain missing separation examination records and provide retrospective VA medical opinions on range of motion.

The Board denied service connection for acquired psychiatric disability, migraines, heart disease and high blood pressure, obstructive sleep apnea, diabetes, and peripheral neuropathy as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, sleep apnea, hypertension, right knee disorder, and right hip disorder have all been denied. The Board found that there is no current disability meeting VA criteria for these conditions.,There are no indications of qualifying hearing loss or sleep apnea during service, and the persuasive weight of the evidence does not support a nexus between any of these conditions and military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right foot disabilities, hemorrhoids, and hypertension due to a lack of adequate medical opinions addressing the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has granted an initial compensable rating of 10 percent for service-connected hypertension, effective July 18, 2013. Service connection for chronic kidney disease as secondary to hypertension is also granted. The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for hypertension is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total rating for compensation purposes based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities, finding that there was no evidence showing he could not secure or follow substantially gainful employment solely because of his service-connected conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, heart disability, and obstructive sleep apnea. The decision also remanded the issue of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability prior to January 17, 2018.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea disorder, and prostate disorder have been denied. The claim for service connection for hearing loss was not reopened due to the lack of new and material evidence.,The claims for service connection for tinnitus, diabetes mellitus type II (PACT Act), hypertension (PACT Act), an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea disorder, and prostate disorder have been granted. These issues are granted pursuant to the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxins Act of 2022 (PACT Act).

The Veteran's hypertension and right knee disorder are granted as secondary to service-connected conditions. The left knee disability is granted at a 10% rating for limited extension, and a 20% rating for moderate instability.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, vision loss (claimed as vision loss), left knee osteoarthritis, right knee osteoarthritis, and a condition manifested by a sore throat.,There is no evidence to support the Veteran's claims of service connection for these conditions.

Service connection is granted for benign positional vertigo. The Veteran's appeals on right shoulder strain, right ball joint leg strain, eye floaters, Vitamin D deficiency, hyperlipidemia, and hypercalcemia are dismissed due to withdrawal of the appeal by the Veteran. Service connection is remanded for DM, PTSD (related to vertigo), and hypertension.

The Veteran's heart disability, including hypertension, coronary artery disease (CAD), left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), and myocardial bridging, was found to have begun during active service.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and disability ratings on multiple conditions have been dismissed due to his death during the appeal process.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted on a presumptive basis under the PACT Act. Service connection for diabetes and removal of the left testicle are denied. The claim for service connection for a total left knee replacement prior to February 14, 2014, is granted with an initial rating of 30 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and gastroesophageal disability, to include gastritis, GERD, hiatal hernia, and/or Barrett's esophagus is remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for ovarian cancer, hypertension, and fibromyalgia disabilities. The decision found that new and material evidence was not submitted to reopen the ovarian cancer claim, and that there was no in-service diagnosis or treatment of these conditions. Service connection was also denied for hypertension due to lack of a nexus between current hypertension and military service, and for fibromyalgia as there were no indications of occurrence during service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions, including hypertension, bilateral eye disability, headaches, psychiatric disorder, erectile dysfunction, low back disability, knee and hip disabilities, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and hearing loss, have been denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to address the Veteran's current symptomatology, including her skin condition and weight gain, as well as whether these conditions are related to her service-connected hypothyroidism. The rating for the period from July 8, 2016, remains unchanged.

The Board has determined that additional examinations are necessary for the Veteran's right shoulder disorder, low back disorder, hypertension, left knee disorder, and bilateral hearing loss claims due to incomplete or inadequate previous examinations.