Hypertension (high blood pressure) Board decisions

The appellant has withdrawn all appeals, including those for service connection and evaluations of the veteran's conditions.

The Board denied the claim for an earlier effective date for the Veteran's 100% evaluation for bilateral mixed deafness and dismissed the DIC claim due to lack of legal merit. The service connection claims were also denied as there was no CUE in the October 2002 rating decision, and the Veteran’s conditions did not cause or contribute substantially to his death.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for hypertension was dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has determined that the case must be remanded to address the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date and whether there was CUE in a previous rating decision.

The Board has determined that additional medical examinations and records are needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed heart disorder, hypertension, circulatory system disorders, gastroparesis, and kidney disorder. The claims for service connection will be remanded.

The Veteran's hypertension claim was denied in January 2007, but new evidence has not raised a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim. The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and erectile dysfunction due to service-connected conditions.,Service connection for PVD is denied as it is not proximately due to or aggravated by a service-connected disability. Service connection for CAD was granted with a 60% rating, effective June 1, 2014.,The Veteran's hypertension claim remains pending and the Board did not address any other claims.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for back disability, headache disability, hepatitis C, acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and depression), and hypertension. However, further development is needed to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient rationale in a previous opinion regarding whether hypertension is related to ionizing radiation exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension and onychomycosis, finding that there was no evidence to support a relationship between these conditions and his military service or service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction was denied. Service connection for swollen legs associated with diabetes mellitus, type II is granted. Service connection for bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy of the radial nerve associated with diabetes mellitus, type II is granted. The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension has been reopened.

The Veteran's service connection for blindness in both eyes, high blood pressure, and left kidney disability have been reopened. The rating for diabetes mellitus type II has been reduced from 60% to 20%, effective June 23, 2013. The Veteran's abdominal muscle disability and gunshot wound residuals of the left back have been granted increased ratings.

The Veteran's appeal for restoration of a 30 percent rating for service-connected diabetic nephropathy from February 3, 2004 is granted. The appeals for increased ratings for coronary artery disease with hypertension and more than a 10 percent rating for service-connected diabetic retinopathy are remanded.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as secondary to his service-connected major depressive disorder.,The Veteran’s lumbar strain disability remains at a 20% rating, with no changes in the current rating period.,The RO improperly reduced the Veteran's left knee patellofemoral syndrome and postoperative lateral meniscectomy ratings. The original ratings of 30% and 10%, respectively, are restored.,The Veteran’s left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome is rated at 20% for the period prior to September 25, 2015, and at 70% thereafter due to major depressive disorder (previously characterized as adjustment disorder with mixed mood).,TDIU is remanded.

The Veteran's hypertension is currently rated as 10 percent disabling, and the Board has denied a higher rating.,Service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD) to include as secondary to service-connected hypertension has been granted.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD) and diabetes mellitus (DM), both secondary to herbicide exposure, but the claims of service connection for hypertension, peripheral vascular disease of the bilateral lower extremities, nephrolithiasis, and erectile dysfunction are remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for hypertension and chronic kidney disease due to insufficient evidence, including failure of the Veteran to report to scheduled VA examinations. The AOJ is required to obtain medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran’s conditions are related to his service in Vietnam (Agent Orange exposure), diabetes, or heart disability.

The Veteran's hypertension has not been evaluated by a VA examiner in over three years, and he alleges that it has worsened. The Board finds this to be sufficient grounds for remanding the case for an updated evaluation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him in need of regular aid and attendance from September 13, 2012, but no earlier. Effective from that date, he is entitled to SMC benefits based on the need for aid and attendance.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions and lack of contemporaneous records. The appellant's back disorder, restless leg syndrome, sleep disorder, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction are all being reviewed with consideration given to his in-service injury and post-service risk factors.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for his scar left leg, unstable, residuals of puncture wound is denied.,The previously denied claim for service connection for arthritis, left elbow, now claimed as an elbow condition has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. However, it remains denied.,The previously denied claim for service connection for thyroid disorder, now claimed as thyroid cancer, has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. It remains denied.,The previously denied claim for service connection for back disability, to include as secondary to service-connected disability, has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. It remains denied.,The previously denied claim for service connection for hypertension, to include as secondary to service-connected disability, has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. It remains denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes is denied.