Hypertension (high blood pressure) Board decisions

The Veteran's hypertension, diabetes, neuropathy of the right and left upper extremities, neuropathy of the left lower extremity, sciatic radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, bilateral retinopathy, and depression with PTSD are all found to be service-connected. The Veteran is assigned a 10 percent disability rating for each condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension was aggravated during his second and third periods of active service, warranting service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining updated medical records and providing additional opinions from VA examiners regarding the etiology of his hypertension and bilateral shin splints.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for hypertension, which he contends was caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, heart disease, PTSD and exposure to an herbicide agent. The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hypertension.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension and heart disease were not incurred in or aggravated by service, and therefore denied both claims.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including COPD, right shoulder and hand disabilities, and hypertension, have rendered him in need of regular aid and attendance due to his inability to dress, feed himself, prepare meals, or bathe without assistance.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete records and need for medical opinions.

The Veteran's hypertension and erectile dysfunction are found to be secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II.

The Veteran has withdrawn all his appeals, including those regarding the issues of service connection and exposure basis.

The Veteran's back disability is currently rated at 20 percent, effective the date of his claim. The Veteran does not meet criteria for a higher rating under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's claimed conditions, including gout, lumbar spine disability, bilateral knee disabilities, rhinitis, kidney disability (chronic renal failure and bilateral renal cysts), hypertension, cystitis, erectile dysfunction, and migraines. The appeals are now resolved in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has determined that the Veteran requires regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities, which necessitates a grant of special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance.

Service connection for hypertension has been granted.,An effective date of June 18, 2012, is assigned for the grant of service connection for sleep apnea. ,The claim for earlier effective date for right Achilles tendonitis is denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension is not related to service and denied his claim. For PTSD, the Board noted that the evidence did not show occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas as required for a higher rating.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals regarding increased ratings for various conditions, including obstructive sleep apnea, right ankle degenerative joint disease, lumbar spine degenerative changes, left lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic branch), right shoulder degenerative joint disease, left shoulder degenerative joint disease, tinnitus, heart disorder, and other related conditions. The appeals are dismissed.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied as he does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD. The VA examiner found that the Veteran did not meet all criteria for PTSD and his symptoms were better explained by other diagnoses.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current diagnoses for most of his claimed conditions and finds no evidence to support service connection for these disorders. The only condition found by the Board with a possible link to service is dementia, but this was many years after service.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss but denied service connection for hypertension, finding that the Veteran's hypertension was not related to his military service or herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the case to consider whether an extraschedular evaluation is warranted for hypertension, as the Veteran's symptoms of pounding headaches and dizziness are not contemplated by the relevant rating criteria.

The Veteran's claims for lumbar spine disorder, right lower extremity disorder, acquired psychiatric disorder, respiratory disorder, and hypertension were denied in July 2005. The Veteran did not appeal these decisions or submit new and material evidence within a year of the decision.,No new and material evidence was received to reopen any of the previously denied claims.