Hypertension (high blood pressure) Board decisions

The Board has reopened the claims for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, and hypertension due to new evidence showing potential exposure during service. However, as there was no actual exposure to herbicides or other presumed conditions in Vietnam, these claims are denied.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for sleep apnea and hypertension, as well as increased ratings for other conditions. Additional development is needed to obtain complete STRs and SPRs, conduct a VA examination, and provide the Veteran with an SOC.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including hypertension, a chipped tooth, thyroid disorder, right knee disorder, left wrist ganglion cyst, left wrist carpal tunnel syndrome, and TMJ. The appeals are now pending before the Board.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD effective July 13, 2010. The Veteran's hypertension and kidney disorder are related to herbicide exposure, while hearing loss is not currently shown in either ear.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim for service connection for hypertension. The Veteran's current diagnosis of hypertension, along with his reported symptoms during service and since service separation, are sufficient to place in equipoise the question of whether the current hypertension was incurred in service and is etiologically related to the high blood pressure readings in service. Therefore, service connection for hypertension is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including VA examinations to determine the etiology of his claimed conditions and updated treatment records.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and identifying the approximate date, location and provider of physical therapy in 2007. An orthopedic examination will also be conducted to determine the current severity of his left knee.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for arteriosclerosis and hypertension, including as secondary to radiation and herbicide exposure, is denied. There is no current diagnosis of arteriosclerosis or hypertension within the presumptive period.

The Board has granted service connection for prostate cancer, actinic keratosis, hypertension, colon polyps, and cataracts due to exposure to radio transmission radiation during active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is likely caused by his service-connected PTSD, and thus grants service connection for hypertension as secondary to PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the etiology of the Veteran's hypertension. The issue is being remanded due to concerns about the sufficiency of medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's hypertension and his military service, particularly exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, finding that it is proximately due to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claims for depression and insomnia, headaches, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and kidney disorder have been denied as new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the claims.,Service connection for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity is also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is not incurred in or aggravated by service, may not be presumed to have been incurred in service, and is not proximately due to or aggravated by a service-connected disability. Therefore, the claim for service connection for hypertension secondary to diabetes mellitus is denied.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for a total disability rating for compensation based on individual unemployability (TDIU) as moot due to the absence of any service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's representative has raised a new theory of entitlement regarding the relationship between PTSD, sleep impairment, obesity, hypertension, and vascular disease. The case is being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions on these issues.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of dengue fever, finding that there is no evidence linking his current disabilities to his in-service diagnosis of 'jungle virus,' which was presumed to be dengue fever.

The Veteran's applications to reopen his claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, a back disorder, and peripheral neuropathy (left and right upper extremity) have been dismissed as he has withdrawn these appeals.

The Veteran is entitled to specially adapted housing due to his service-connected disabilities, including diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities and erectile dysfunction. The claim for special home adaptations is dismissed as a matter of law.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current disabilities of hypertension or bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes, and thus service connection is denied.