Hypertension (high blood pressure) Board decisions

The Board has ordered a remand due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling an examination. The Veteran's hypertension is being reviewed to determine if it is related to service or any other conditions.

The Veteran's hypertension and right knee disability are found to be secondary to his service-connected left knee disability. The Veteran's claim for a higher evaluation for his left knee disability is granted.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining service treatment records and verifying the appellant's periods of active duty and inactive duty training. The appeal will be returned to the Board after this additional development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining medical records and information from the Social Security Administration.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a diagnosis during or within one year after service and concluding that the condition is not related to service.

The Veteran does not have any of the claimed conditions due to his service.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is found to have contributed to his death from vascular dementia, which was caused by hypertension. As a result, the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a Social Industrial Survey and obtaining records of vocational services discussions.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claim of service connection for alcoholism/dementia. The Veteran is now seeking service connection for PTSD, hypertension, and gout as secondary to his service-connected conditions.

The Board has ordered additional development due to outstanding VA and private treatment records, as well as service personnel records. The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension did not meet the criteria for service connection, as it was not shown to be incurred in or aggravated by his military service, including presumed exposure to herbicides. The Board also determined that there is no evidence of a nexus between the Veteran's hypertension and his service-connected diabetes mellitus type 2 and/or PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, is not related to service. Service connection for hepatitis C due to Agent Orange exposure in Korea is granted. Diabetes mellitus and hypertension are presumed to be caused by Agent Orange exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records from private providers and ensuring all relevant evidence has been considered.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity and diabetes mellitus, require regular aid and attendance due to his inability to perform daily activities such as bathing, dressing himself, preparing meals, keeping himself clean and presentable, and protecting himself from environmental hazards.

The VA examiner found that the Veteran's hypertension is not related to his active service, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to the Board's decision.

The Board has ordered additional VA examinations and remanded the claims due to inadequate etiological opinions from a previous examiner. The Veteran's cardiac, brain, and hypertension disabilities are being evaluated for their relationship to his service-connected asbestosis.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is presumed to have been exposed to herbicides during service, and therefore his claims for coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type II, and hypertension are granted as they are presumed related to such exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not make him permanently bedridden or unable to care for his daily needs without requiring the regular aid and attendance of another person. The Veteran is in receipt of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability, but does not have a separate service-connected disability or service-connected disabilities rated at 60 percent or better and the Veteran is not permanently confined to his immediate premises as a result of service-connected disabilities. Therefore, SMC based on the need for aid and attendance of another person or by reason of being housebound has not been met.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have ischemic heart disease and therefore service connection for this condition is denied. The claim of an increased evaluation for PTSD with polysubstance dependence remains pending.