Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2024

The Board finds that additional evidence is needed to determine if the Veteran's service-connected disabilities have caused or aggravated his non-service-connected right foot, hypertension, and bilateral eye disability.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as secondary to his service-connected obstructive sleep apnea. The claims for generalized arthritis disorder, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome are denied due to lack of current diagnoses or evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension as secondary to his service-connected sleep apnea, finding that there is an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence supporting this conclusion.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and clarification of opinions regarding service connection for a heart disability, including atrial septal defect and pulmonary hypertension, as well as bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient rationale provided for service connection of hypertension and/or hypertensive heart disease, specifically related to herbicide exposure. The Veteran's hypertension is found less likely than not related to service or herbicide exposure, and his hypertensive heart disease is also found less likely than not caused by or aggravated by his service-connected ischemic heart disease.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient compliance with previous remand directives regarding obtaining missing service treatment records. The Veteran's cause of death was attributed to bilateral acute ischemic strokes, intracranial hemorrhage, metastatic melanoma to brain, deep vein thrombosis, and hypertension.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral pinguecula, TDIU prior to February 27, 2017, and SMC due to additional evidence being added to the record. The Veteran's VA treatment records and non-VA treatment through Community Care programs need to be obtained.

The Board has withdrawn the Veteran's claims for service connection for bronchitis, colitis, and pneumonia. The remaining issues of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD), alcohol abuse, lower back condition, heart condition, joint condition, hypertension, headaches, abnormal weight loss, and chest pain are remanded due to conflicting evidence and incomplete information.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for arthritis, eye conditions, hypertension, and lower back pain are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and consideration of new evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's OSA is secondary to his service-connected disabilities, with obesity as an intermediate step. The VA needs to obtain a new opinion from a qualified sleep specialist addressing both proximate causation and aggravation by hypertension and PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's hypertension is caused by his service-connected hypothyroidism. The case needs further development and a new medical opinion.

The Veteran's hypertension is currently granted on a presumptive basis under the PACT Act. The Board has ordered remand to obtain an addendum opinion addressing whether his hypertension was directly caused by herbicide agent exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and hypertensive cardiovascular disease on a presumptive basis due to exposure to herbicide agents during service, as provided by the PACT Act. The Veteran's heart disorder is found to be secondary to his now service-connected hypertension.

The Board has determined that the Veteran should be afforded another opportunity for VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, plantar fasciitis, psoriasis, dry eye syndrome, hypertension, and psoriatic arthritis. The appeals encompass multiple issues related to service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected sleep apnea, finding that there is at least an even balance of evidence supporting this conclusion.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension as of January 28, 2014. However, the issues regarding temporomandibular joint disease, gout, back disability, and residual injury of the left leg that required 16 stitches are remanded due to outstanding medical records from Walter Reed Medical Center.

The Veteran's hypertension was granted service connection as a result of in-service herbicide exposure. The issues regarding peripheral vascular disease, leg amputations, and renal disease are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, is rated at 20 percent and his hypertension with diabetic nephropathy is rated at 30 percent. The Board has remanded both issues for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been denied. The Board found no new and material evidence to reopen the claims of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, and denied them. Service connection was also denied for a bilateral eye disability. Increased ratings were denied for allergic rhinitis, hypertension, osteoarthritis and traumatic arthritis of the right knee, hallux valgus of the right foot, and hallux valgus of the left foot.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, sleep apnea, and chronic renal disease have been reopened. Service connection has been granted for PTSD with an initial rating of 70 percent.