Hypertension (high blood pressure) Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and for further examinations. The claims will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Board has found the Veteran was exposed to herbicides. Therefore, his hypertension is presumed related to service and he is granted service connection for this condition. The lumbar and cervical sprains are also presumed related to service due to herbicide exposure. However, the Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for rectal cancer, IHD, or any other conditions.

The Board has granted an increased rating of 40 percent for hypertension (HTN) from August 25, 2014. The Veteran's service connection claims for chronic rhinitis, sinusitis, nasal polyps, a heart disorder, PTSD, anxiety disorder, and MDD have been denied. New and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, anxiety disorder, and MDD) and for a respiratory disorder (including sleep apnea).

The Veteran's hypertension is proximately caused by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, and therefore, the Board has determined that service connection for hypertension should be granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's ischemic cardiomyopathy, coronary artery disease, chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis, and hypertension were not incurred in or caused by his service. The gap of nearly three decades between his service and these conditions makes it unlikely they are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for low back and neck disabilities, as well as hypertension, were denied. The Board found no evidence of these conditions during or within one year after service separation. Service connection was also not granted for PTSD or CAD due to lack of a nexus between the current conditions and service. For hypertension, the Veteran's condition did not have its onset in service, nor was it shown to be related to diabetes or PTSD. The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for coronary artery disease were denied as well.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to inadequate development of his diabetes mellitus and related complications, as well as the need for VA examinations regarding kidney/renal disorders. The effective dates for service connection for tinea pedis and peripheral neuropathy are also under consideration.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have ischemic heart disease or hypertension, and there is no evidence of a service connection for these conditions. The claim is denied.

The Veteran's cardiovascular disease, including a heart disorder and hypertension, did not have onset in service or for many years thereafter, and is not related to service.

The Veteran has withdrawn all appeals regarding the issues of entitlement to service connection for an upper back condition, chest pain, and hypertension.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea is not related to his military service or secondary to his service-connected hypertension, and thus denied both claims.

The Veteran's hypertension is not service-connected and there is no evidence that it was caused or aggravated by his diabetes mellitus. The examiner found the Veteran to have essential hypertension, which is unrelated to his diabetes.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension neither began during nor was otherwise caused by his military service, and it was not aggravated by a service-connected disability. As such, the claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for hypertension, to include as secondary to diabetes mellitus, type II, has been dismissed because the Veteran withdrew his appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's gout, arthritis, rhinitis, and hypertension are not related to his active service. The claims for these conditions have been denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection for hypertension, as there is no medical link between a current disability and an in-service incurrence or previously service-connected condition.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, a sleep disorder, and increased rating for prostate cancer residuals due to new evidence and factual findings.

The Veteran's cognitive disorder is found to be causally related to his service-connected TBI, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus and headache disability, but denied his claim of entitlement to service connection for a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and hypertension. The decision is based on the lack of credible evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and an updated medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hypertension and heart murmur, as well as whether these conditions are related to his active duty service.