Hypertension (high blood pressure) Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development. The issues include determining whether the Veteran can establish service connection for hypertension, which may be related to his military service or exposure to herbicides.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities meet the percentage requirements for a TDIU, and his combined disability rating is at least 70 percent. The Board has granted a TDIU based on the severity of his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The right shoulder, left ankle, right ankle, hypertension, bilateral foot plantar fasciitis with left first metatarsophalangeal joint degenerative joint disease, bilateral hearing loss, low back disorder, left knee disorder, and right knee disorder all had their respective initial rating evaluations determined to be inadequate.

The Board has restored the Veteran's 10 percent disability rating for abdominal scar and granted service connection for hypertension as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II.

All issues are remanded for additional development including obtaining private treatment records and VA medical opinions. The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, skin cancer, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and PTSD will be addressed.

The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is at least as likely as not caused or permanently aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board found that the Veteran's heart condition, status-post pacemaker/defibrillator implantation, was not incurred in service and is not otherwise related to service. The claim for hypertension is addressed in the REMAND portion of the decision.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the Veteran's service connection claims, including obtaining his service personnel records and arranging for a VA examination of his claimed migraines.

The Veteran's heart disorders, including ischemic heart disease, are presumed to be related to his service in the Republic of Vietnam due to exposure to Agent Orange. The Board has ordered a remand for further examination and opinion regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension is granted. The Board finds that the evidence is in relative equipoise as to whether the Veteran's hypertension had its onset during active service, and thus grants service connection.

The Board denied reopening claims for cervical spine and bilateral shoulder disabilities, as well as service connection for coronary artery disease, hypertension, and numbness of the fingers. The Veteran's appeal was not successful in these matters.

The Veteran's headaches, hypertension, and cervical spine disorder are all found to be service-connected. The headaches have been linked to in-service symptoms, the hypertension is presumed to have manifested within one year of separation from service, and the cervical spine disorder is considered a chronic condition that has persisted since service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), as well as his claim for a higher initial rating for hypertension. The Board found that he did not have a ratable disability for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, a sleep disorder, and a skin rash of the face were denied. The claim for fatigue was not reopened as new and material evidence had not been received. Increased ratings for PTSD and degenerative changes of the lumbar spine were also denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to address the nature and etiology of his skin disorder, hypertension, and cardiovascular disorder.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to clarify the relationship between his service-connected conditions and any current diagnoses, including whether they were first manifested during active duty.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and arranging a comprehensive examination of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased disability ratings are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing an SSOC.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service personnel records and VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions.

The appeal is REMANDED to obtain additional medical records and for further examination.