Hypertension (high blood pressure) Board decisions

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for high blood pressure before the Board could make a decision.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is granted as secondary to his service-connected PTSD.,The Veteran's hypertension has been granted, but the effective date remains November 14, 2013.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and inextricably intertwined issues. Specifically, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, erectile dysfunction, skin cancer of the face, arms, and back, and depression and anxiety are all being reviewed.

The Board has determined that additional examinations and opinions are needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, TBI, and PTSD.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and hypertension) do not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current hypertension, which he claims began during service, is related to his military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.,For the period on appeal, the Veteran’s right wrist tendonitis and left wrist tendonitis have not resulted in functional limitations that warrant a higher rating than the currently assigned 10 percent ratings.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and are being remanded due to the submission of new evidence. The Board is requesting additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of his back disorder, hypertension, right knee condition, left knee condition, right lower extremity nerve damage (secondary to right knee), and left lower extremity nerve damage (secondary to left knee).

The Veteran's claim for a 50% evaluation for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is granted. Service connection for other conditions such as skin condition, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, high blood pressure, retroperitoneal fibrosis, and back problem are remanded.

The Board has denied service connection for hypertension due to the Veteran's current diagnosis not meeting the criteria for a disability. The issue of service connection for a respiratory system disability, specifically sinusitis and rhinitis, is remanded as an additional VA medical opinion must be obtained.

The Veteran's claims for sleep apnea, skin cancer, right hand disorder, left hand disorder, right hip disorder, and left hip disorder were denied as they are not related to service. The claim for hypertension is remanded due to insufficient evidence addressing its relationship to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and the Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of his death.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension has been reopened and granted. The Board also remanded several other issues including heart disorder, erectile dysfunction, skin rash of the face, arms, and feet, unspecified brain disorder, and prostate disorder.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for diabetes mellitus and nephropathy with hypertension were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to alcohol dependence, which was secondary to his service-connected PTSD. The Veteran died from metastatic gastric cancer.

The Veteran's hypertension and prostate cancer are being remanded for further development.,Service connection is also being remanded for the Veteran’s knee disabilities, as well as his thoracolumbar spine disability. The effective dates of service connection will be determined based on the evidence provided during this process.,A TDIU rating is also being remanded due to the Veteran's service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, tinnitus, and peripheral arterial disease of the bilateral legs were denied. The Board found that new evidence did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the underlying claim of service connection for hypertension. For tinnitus, the preponderance of the evidence was against a finding that it began during service or is related to in-service noise exposure. For peripheral arterial disease of the bilateral legs, there was no indication that the condition was associated with service or any other service-connected disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is related to his exposure to herbicides during service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, and service connection for Hepatitis C, fibromyalgia, sleep apnea, hypertension, and headaches are granted. The initial rating for seborrheic dermatitis remains unchanged.

The Veteran's CAD status post CABG is now rated at 100% effective June 18, 2018. Prior to this date, the condition was rated at 30%. The increase in rating reflects a significant improvement in symptoms.