Hypertension (high blood pressure) Board decisions

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, lumbosacral degenerative disc disease, cystic skin lesions, and initial compensable rating for folliculitis barbae due to unresolved medical evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him so helpless as to need regular aid and attendance or permanently confined to his immediate premises, thus denying the claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on aid and attendance or an account of being housebound.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral vascular disease of the lower extremities and hypertension are remanded due to a lack of presumptive service connection based on herbicide exposure. The VA is requested to obtain medical opinions regarding whether these conditions were related to his in-service herbicide agent exposure.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to difficulties in obtaining relevant private treatment records. The issues remain unresolved and need further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation on and after May 26, 2009. The Board has granted TDIU for this period.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for a higher initial rating for service-connected hypertension prior to December 12, 2019.

The Board has granted service connection for peripheral neuropathy in both upper and lower extremities, as well as reopened the claim for hypertension. The decision is based on evidence of herbicide exposure during service.

The Board has remanded the cases due to a failure to issue a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC) after additional evidence was added to the record. The claims for compensable ratings for hearing loss, nasal fracture residuals, and hypertension are being returned to the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, chronic kidney disease as secondary to hypertension, heart disease as secondary to hypertension, and diabetes mellitus type II as secondary to hypertension. The Veteran's conditions are found to be proximately due or aggravated by his service-connected hypertension.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease is related to his presumed in-service exposure to herbicide agents in the Republic of Vietnam, and service connection for this condition has been granted.

The Veteran's left shoulder hemiarthroplasty is being remanded for further review.,Essential hypertension secondary to sleep apnea or stroke residuals is being remanded for further review.,Sleep apnea secondary to stroke residuals is being remanded for further review.,Osteoarthritis is being remanded for further review.,A chronic kidney disorder with kidney stones, secondary to osteoarthritis, is being remanded for further review.,Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), secondary to sleep apnea, is being remanded for further review.,Gout, secondary to a chronic kidney disorder, is being remanded for further review.,Coronary artery disease (CAD), secondary to sleep apnea, is being remanded for further review.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension due to herbicide exposure, as it was not adequately addressed in the previous decision. The case is now pending again with a requirement for a medical opinion on the nature and etiology of the Veteran’s hypertension.

The Board has remanded the case for an addendum opinion regarding whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is aggravated by his service-connected PTSD. The hypertension claim remains denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have not been shown to preclude substantially gainful employment, and the Board denied his claim for a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) as a result of service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's initial 20 percent rating for left shoulder degenerative joint disease is granted, while his hypertension remains at a noncompensable rating.

The Veteran's currently diagnosed hypertension is granted as secondary to service-connected PTSD. The Board also finds that the Veteran's kidney disorder, bladder cancer, and erectile dysfunction are aggravated by his service-connected hypertension.

The Veteran's service-connected microhematuria is granted a non-compensable rating, and his hypertension is rated at 30 percent. The claim for TDIU was denied.

The Veteran's PTSD was denied an initial rating in excess of 70 percent from December 20, 2017. The Board also found that the criteria for a TDIU were not met prior to July 17, 2009.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as new and material evidence was not received to reopen the previously denied claims. Service connection was also denied for hepatic steatosis and chronic kidney disease due to lack of a causal relationship with military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including heart disability, respiratory disability, acid reflux, migraines, hypertension, and acquired psychiatric disorder. The remand is due to incomplete records from Naval Medical Center Portsmouth during the Veteran's active duty period.