Hypertension (high blood pressure) Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and chronic renal disease, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his exposure to herbicide agents during service. Service connection is also granted for chronic renal disease as secondary to hypertension.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and DJD of the lumbar spine, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and hypertension. The decision also remanded several other issues.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted a 10% rating, but her migraine headaches and carpal tunnel syndrome are denied initial compensable ratings.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the cause of death and whether service-connected disabilities contributed to it. The Veteran died from a brain tumor, but without known pathology of the brain mass, no definite determination can be made on whether the brain mass was related to military service or metastasized from his service-connected prostate cancer.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's hypertension should be remanded for further examination and opinion to determine its relationship to her service or any service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right knee patellofemoral syndrome, as well as hypertension due to further development being required.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, headaches, right knee disability, left knee disability, and tinnitus due to new evidence received since the January 2012 rating decision.,However, the claims are still pending as they have been remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease, with hypertension, is rated at 60 percent since December 2, 2011. The rating is denied as the condition does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for eye disorder, lump on back (lipoma), and skin cancer have been reopened but are still pending due to the need for additional evidence.,Service connection for PTSD has not been granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD, hypertension, and bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy as there was no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service or toxic herbicide exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death due to hypertension, which is presumed to be related to herbicide exposure. The issue of service connection for a kidney condition remains pending and will need to be remanded.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for duodenal and gastric ulcers, chronic B-12 deficiency with liver enzyme disorder, diabetes mellitus, an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as PTSD, schizoaffective mood disorder, bipolar type, and pain disorder due to psychological and general medical conditions), a skin disorder (recurring back cysts), fibromyalgia, hyperlipidemia, a neurological disorder (to include waist-down paralysis, seizures, blackouts, neuropathy, and Morton’s neuroma), arthritis, hypertension, a thyroglossal duct cyst, and T10-11 spinal osteophyte and degenerative disc disease with muscle pain spasm and lower back-leg weakness (thoracolumbar spine disorder).

The Veteran's hypertension, requiring continuous medication and with diastolic pressures in excess of 100, is granted an initial rating of 10 percent.

The Board denied service connection for a respiratory disability, including tuberculosis and asbestosis, and hypertension. The Veteran's current respiratory disability is not supported by the evidence of record, and his hypertension was noted prior to active duty and did not increase during any period of service.

The Veteran's post-operative right inguinal hernia has not been shown to be recurrent. The most probative evidence of record reflects that for the period on appeal the Veteran has been shown to be unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities.,The Veteran is already in receipt of a separate 10 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 7802 for his residual, scar post-operative right inguinal hernia. A higher rating under Diagnostic Code 7802 is not warranted.,The Veteran's combined evaluation exceeded 40 percent from March 23, 2007, and he meets the schedular requirements for entitlement to a TDIU.

The Board has dismissed all appeals for service connection as the Veteran withdrew his requests to appeal these issues.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as service-connected. The Board has remanded several other issues for further development and consideration.

The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 40 percent for diabetes mellitus from June 17, 2010. The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is rated as direct service connection and the issue of separate ratings for diabetic complications (eye conditions and hypertension) was not addressed.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and hypertension as secondary to service-connected ulcerative colitis.,Service connection was also denied for headaches as secondary to service-connected ulcerative colitis.

The Veteran's hypertension and stroke are service-connected, with the strokes being secondary to his service-connected hypertension.,The cause of death (large right middle cerebral artery distribution stroke and multiple earlier strokes) is also service-connected.