Hypertension (high blood pressure) Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for various conditions, including right and left leg conditions, neuropathy, an acquired psychiatric disorder (depression and anxiety), hypertension, and a heart condition. The VA is directed to obtain medical records from the South Carolina Department of Corrections and schedule the Veteran for VA examinations to address the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's hypertension and bilateral upper and lower extremity neuropathy are remanded for additional development to determine if they are related to his service, including chemical exposure.

The Veteran's asthma with bronchitis and reactive airway disease, left elbow disability, left ankle fracture residuals, hypertension, and left ear hearing loss were all rated at the maximum allowable under VA regulations.,The Veteran was denied increased ratings for his asthma, left elbow, left ankle, and hypertension conditions.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as incurred in service, and his migraine headaches are rated at the maximum allowable under VA guidelines. The effective date for TDIU remains September 20, 2010.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is granted service connection, and an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his left knee disability is denied. Other service connection claims are remanded.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including service connection for various conditions and rating determinations. The specific issues are tinnitus, hypertension, sleep apnea, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, right lower extremity radiculopathy (claimed as right leg condition), and a psychiatric disability.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, finding no relationship to active service or service-connected ischemic heart disease. The Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents in service is presumed.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and are now pending. The Board has found new and material evidence to support the reopening of his claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, anxiety disorder; however, no new or material evidence was found to reopen his claims for hypertension, post-operative abdominal injury, diabetes mellitus, type II, and right hip scar (residual of a gunshot wound).

The Veteran's petition to reopen his PTSD claim was denied. The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension and basal cell carcinoma of the left medial canthus due to in-service herbicide exposure.

The Board has determined that the criteria for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred as a result of treatment at Palms of Pasadena Hospital from August 25, 2003 to August 27, 2003 have been met.

The Veteran's hypertension was not incurred during service and is not related to any in-service exposure, including Agent Orange or contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The condition has been well-controlled post-service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for ischemic heart disease, type II diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and ulcers are granted. The cases of hypertension and ulcers are remanded due to the need for a VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted entitlement to TDIU. The cases for increased disability ratings for right elbow, left elbow, left knee, and right knee disabilities are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and hypertension due to potential links to his service-connected diabetes mellitus or herbicide exposure. The claims are being reviewed again with additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied, except for a grant of a disability rating of 70 percent for depressive disorder. The other conditions and disabilities were not found to be related to service or warrant a higher rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, finding that there is no direct or secondary service connection based on the lack of a medical nexus between his hypertension and either his in-service exposure to any specific hazard or his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of hypertension, heart condition, and left upper extremity neuropathy for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is entitled to a TDIU on an extraschedular basis, effective November 13, 2006, due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions and additional development is needed.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development, including obtaining private medical records and conducting VA examinations to assess the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and their impact on his ability to work.