Hypertension (high blood pressure) Board decisions

The Veteran's hypertension and tinea versicolor with tinea corporis claims are remanded due to the need for additional medical records and clarification of treatment history.

The Veteran's disability ratings for Right Shoulder Strain and Left Shoulder Strain were restored to 10 percent, effective May 11, 2012. The Veteran's PTSD was granted a TDIU (Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability).

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a VA examination and additional evidence. The issues of entitlement to higher ratings for bronchial asthma, and total disability based on individual unemployability are before the Board.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for hypertension due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's hypertension is not shown as chronic in service or within a presumptive period, and was not noted in service with attributable continuity of symptomatology. The preponderance of the evidence is against finding that the Veteran’s hypertension is proximately due to, the result of, or aggravated beyond its natural progression by her service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to herbicide exposure, as well as secondary service connection for COPD with bronchitis causing coronary artery disease. The AOJ is instructed to verify the Veteran's exposure at Eglin AFB and obtain medical opinions regarding the etiology of his conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied, and the Board has not established any effective dates due to lack of prior formal or informal claims.

The Veteran's claims for obstructive sleep apnea, right ear hearing loss, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, GERD, memory loss (claimed as dementia), fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, hair loss, hypertension, bladder disability, and gout are all remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, and the Board denied a higher rating as his symptoms do not meet the criteria for a 100 percent evaluation.,For TDIU, the Veteran meets the schedular threshold requirement with multiple service-connected disabilities. However, he was found to be capable of securing and following substantially gainful employment due to his education, special training, and previous work experience.

The Board previously denied service connection for hypertension, and the Veteran appealed. The Court granted a JMR, requiring an examination to determine if hypertension is secondary to a service-connected psychiatric disability.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection on multiple conditions, including hemorrhoids and a left little toe callus. The claims were also dismissed due to her withdrawal of other issues.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD is denied. Service connection for tinnitus is granted, but service connection for hypertension is denied.

The Veteran's hypertension is being remanded for further evaluation due to insufficient evidence regarding its relation to his military service.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to secure the Veteran's service treatment records and to determine if any post-service medical records are available. The claims for service connection for hip disorders, foot disorder, hypertension, intracerebral hemorrhage (claimed as aneurysm), and hemorrhoids will be remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea but denied service connection to hypertension, secondary to PTSD. The decision is mixed as it grants one claim and denies another.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted service connection. Service connection for jungle rot, prostate condition, kidney condition, and skin condition other than jungle rot are denied. The Veteran's onychomycosis is rated at 10 percent effective October 16, 2015.

The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus, type II, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, obstructive sleep apnea, left and right wrist disabilities, and headaches due to potential service connection based on exposure to herbicides during service. The AOJ is required to confirm whether the USS Oriskany was within the 12 nautical mile territorial sea of Vietnam.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder and hypertension, is granted service connection. Service connection for hypertension is also granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied for Type II diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, erectile dysfunction, and a lung disability (claimed as lung disease). Hypertension was granted based on presumed exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, heart condition, and multiple lipomas on whole body due to a stay regarding naval service and presumed herbicide exposure. Further development is required as it is unclear whether the USS Annapolis served within the 12 nautical mile territorial sea of the Republic of Vietnam.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation for the appeal period, leading to a TDIU being granted.