Hypertension (high blood pressure) Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for hypertension and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are being remanded due to missing procedural documents, lack of contemporaneous examination, and the need to locate service medical records.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and chronic kidney disease (CKD) as these conditions are aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including asbestosis, cervical and lumbar spine conditions, shoulder osteoarthritis, tinnitus, knee degenerative arthritis, hypertension, and bilateral hearing loss, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU based on these service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for blindness, glaucoma, hypertension, TBI, rheumatoid arthritis, right shoulder pain, left shoulder pain, left elbow disorder, right shoulder disorder, right wrist disorder, left wrist disorder, numbness and stiffness in the right toes, numbness, pain, and tingling in the left leg, joint pain and swelling in the jaw, right hip disorder, left hip disorder, left knee disorder, right ankle disorder, left ankle disorder, bilateral pes planus, left foot bunions, right foot bunions, residuals of a rib fracture, right hand disorder, left hand disorder, tonsillitis, dizzy spells, chronic fatigue disorder, pharyngitis (inflammation of the throat), allergy disorder, breathing disorder, sleep apnea, heart disorder manifest by an irregular heartbeat, ulcer, gastritis, gastrointestinal disorder manifested by gas and stomach problems, GERD, kidney disorder, residuals of a left chest lipoma, obesity, left arm disorder, and numbness, pain, and stiffness in the fingers.

The claims of service connection for a respiratory disorder, residuals of renal cancer, and hypertension are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to his exposure to Camp Lejeune contaminated water, as he served at the base for over a month. The VA is instructed to obtain medical opinions regarding whether each of the claimed conditions are related to this exposure.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea due to conflicting opinions and need for additional medical evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and hepatitis C and B due to insufficient information regarding herbicide agent exposure during service. The case is being returned for further action, including obtaining VA-authorized non-VA treatment records and attempting to verify in-service herbicide agent exposure.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable disability rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss has been withdrawn.,Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and hypertension is denied as the evidence does not support an in-service occurrence or relationship to military service.,The Veteran’s claim for left hand and finger arthritis remains pending, but requires further development including a VA examination.

The Veteran withdrew their appeal for service connection of hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity before a decision was made.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities precluded him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board granted his claim for total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU).

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for right knee disability, chronic back pain, hypertension, hepatitis C, renal disability, and acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and anxiety) due to outstanding medical records and in-service stressor verification.

The Board denied the claims for effective dates earlier than December 31, 2009, for service connection and related benefits due to lack of intent to apply for disability compensation at the time of the initial claim in 1986.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and there is no evidence linking his metastatic nasopharyngeal cancer or hypertension to exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam.

The Veteran's prostate cancer is granted as presumptively related to his service in Vietnam due to herbicide exposure. The left knee disorder, chronic headaches, and high blood pressure are denied as not being related to service or service-connected conditions.

The Board has denied service connection for hypertension, left upper extremity neuropathy, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The Veteran's left shoulder disability is currently rated at 20 percent from April 1, 2011.,The appeal is remanded to determine if the Veteran should be granted a higher rating for his left shoulder disability.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as secondary to PTSD.,Service connection for the respiratory disability (emphysema and COPD) due to service-connected asbestosis is denied.,Service connection for bilateral hip arthritis is denied, with no evidence of onset during or within one year after service.,Sleep apnea is remanded for a determination on whether it is caused by or aggravated by PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been remanded due to insufficient evidence. The Board found that the effective date of his temporary total evaluation was not earlier than September 21, 2015, and denied higher schedular ratings for his right shoulder and lumbar spine disabilities.

The Veteran's right hip was rated at the 100 percent level from June 1, 2014 to May 1, 2015 based on a 13-month convalescence period. After that, he received a 70 percent rating for marked severe residuals of weakness, pain, or limitation of motion.,The Veteran's service-connected hypertension was found to have contributed substantially to his cause of death (adult respiratory distress syndrome and pneumonia with cardiac arrest).

The application to reopen the previously denied claim for entitlement to service connection for emphysema was denied. The application to reopen the previously denied claim for hypertension (HTN) was granted.,The application to reopen the previously denied claim for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.