Hypertension (high blood pressure) Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection for GERD, hypertension, gynecomastia, bilateral degenerative arthritis of the knees, tinnitus, peripheral vascular disease (claimed as a bilateral leg condition), degenerative osteoarthritis at L3-4 (claimed as low back pain), left carotid occlusion, and bilateral hand injury have all been denied. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to service.,The Veteran's service treatment records do not show any complaints or treatment for the claimed conditions. His post-service medical records indicate diagnoses of GERD in 2000, hypertension in 2005, and bilateral degenerative arthritis of the knees beginning in 2004. The Board found no causal relationship between these conditions and service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for an effective date prior to June 9, 2009, for the service-connected disabilities listed on the title page. The Board has dismissed the appeal as a result.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining a VA medical opinion on the etiology of the Veteran's hypertension and addressing whether it is related to his service-connected ischemic heart disease with chronic congestive heart failure.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran's hypertension is related to his service-connected disabilities or any in-service exposure. The case will be returned to the AOJ for this purpose.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's symptoms of chronic nephritis, hypertension, anemia, and edema have been present since at least March 2013. Therefore, an effective date of April 2, 2013 is granted for the assignment of a 100 percent rating.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current cardiovascular disability, to include hypertension, that manifested in service or within one year of separation from service.,There is no evidence showing a diagnosis of hypertension until October 2005, and there are no records documenting elevated blood pressure readings while in service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for all issues related to service connection, increased rating for PTSD, and TDIU prior to March 11, 2013.

The Veteran's breathing disorder, including COPD, pulmonary hypertension, and sleep apnea, was not shown to be related to service or exposure to herbicides. The Board found that the most likely cause of his respiratory conditions is tobacco use.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus the claim for TDIU is denied.

The Veteran's hypertension is rated at 10 percent, as he requires continuous medication for control of his blood pressure.,The Veteran does not have a compensable rating for allergic rhinitis due to lack of polyps or significant nasal obstruction.,For the period prior to June 23, 2016, the Veteran's dermatitis is rated at 10 percent. Since then, it has been rated as 10 percent.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is not caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II or peripheral neuropathy. The Board also found no evidence of Agent Orange exposure contributing to the development of hypertension.

The Veteran's hypertension and right hand CTS were not incurred in or aggravated by service, as there is no evidence of such during his active duty. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against the claims for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA medical opinions regarding the etiology of his PTSD, hypertension, and sleep apnea.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing a VA physician's opinion on whether the Veteran's service-connected heart disabilities were a principal or contributory cause of his death.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. The Board cannot proceed with the merits of this case as he is no longer alive.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension did not have its onset in active service or is otherwise related to active service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims of service connection for PTSD, a skin disability, a left knee disability, stable angina, prostate disability, heart disability other than stable angina (includes cardiomyopathy, congestive heart failure, and hypertensive heart disease), hypertension, and right knee disability. The Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents is established based on his service in Vietnam.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including scheduling a VA examination and obtaining translations of Spanish documents. The Veteran's claim will be readjudicated based on the additional evidence.