Hypertension (high blood pressure) Board decisions

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for sleep apnea, hypertension, a left foot disability, PTSD, and MDD due to the need for further evidentiary development. Specifically, VA treatment records from before May 2007 at San Juan VAMC should be obtained, as well as any untranslated documents in Spanish.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension due to new and material evidence. The case is now remanded for further development, including verification of in-service herbicide exposure and an opinion on whether hypertension is related to service.

The Board has denied service connection for thyroid disability and hypertension, finding no evidence of a nexus to service or herbicide exposure. The case is remanded for further development regarding the Veteran's hypertension.

The Veteran's service connection claim for coronary artery disease (CAD) as secondary to exposure to Agent Orange is granted.,Service connection for hypertension, including as secondary to exposure to Agent Orange and/or CAD, is denied.,Service connection for melanoma, including as secondary to exposure to Agent Orange, is denied.,Service connection for hepatocellular carcinoma, including as secondary to exposure to Agent Orange, is denied.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for the issues of service connection for various disabilities, including left ankle, left knee, right hip, left hip, and right shoulder disabilities, as well as hypertension and sleep apnea.

The Veteran's service connection claims for BPH, HTN, and an acquired psychiatric condition are granted. The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition is remanded.

The Board dismissed the appeal for an increased rating for hypertension and denied a higher initial rating for MDD. The case was remanded to determine if there should be an earlier effective date for service connection of MDD.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension due to new evidence submitted since the April 2005 rating decision. The case is remanded for further development regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hypertension and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for prostate cancer, heart disease disability, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, respiratory condition, and upper torso left side scar associated with lung surgery due to potential herbicide exposure. The AOJ is instructed to obtain deck logs from USS Ranger and USS Hancock (CVA-19) and determine if they were within 12 nautical miles of Vietnam during the Veteran's service.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his hypertension, which was caused by in-service Agent Orange exposure, contributed to his kidney disease and ultimately led to his death. The decision resolves reasonable doubt in favor of the appellant.

The Board dismissed all petitions to reopen the previously denied claims for service connection due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for heart condition, prostate cancer, hypertension, urinary incontinence, and erectile dysfunction due to potential herbicide exposure during service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for PTSD, hypertension, and kidney disease due to insufficient evidence regarding the nature and severity of his service-connected PTSD. Additional VA examinations are needed to address the etiology of his hypertension and kidney diseases.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type 2, was granted effective June 4, 2013.,PTSD and hypertension claims were denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart disability, claimed as ischemic heart disease and other than hypertension, a cervical spine disability, pseudofolliculitis barbae, bilateral hearing loss, headaches, low back disability, psychiatric disability (PTSD), left elbow disability, right knee disability, left ankle disability, sleep apnea, and hypertension have all been denied. The effective date for the award of service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae has also been denied.

The Veteran's claim for hypertension was reopened and granted.,The Veteran's claim for PTSD was reopened and granted.,The Veteran's claim for left hip osteoarthritis was reopened and granted.,The Veteran's claim for low back disability was remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases due to potential herbicide exposure in Vietnam, and will need to determine if the Veteran's diabetes and hypertension are related to his service.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability rating, earlier effective date, and service connection have been dismissed. The Board has also remanded the Veteran's claims for acid reflux, hypertension, and degenerative arthritis with IVDS of the thoracolumbar spine.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of OSA, prostate disability, and hypertension due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to verify the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during service in Korea, including along the DMZ. The remanded issues are for service connection of a skin disorder and hypertension as secondary to such exposure.