Hypertension (high blood pressure) Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left upper extremity radiculopathy, neuropathy, or carpal tunnel syndrome, hypertension, and sleep apnea have been denied. The January 2014 VA examination indicated that the Veteran does not currently have these conditions.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for PTSD and hypertension have been dismissed as the appellant has withdrawn his appeal.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease is currently rated at 60 percent, and the Board finds that this rating adequately reflects his disability. The evidence does not support a higher evaluation.

The Veteran's hypertension is being remanded for additional examination and opinion to determine if it is secondary to his service-connected PTSD or CAD.

The Board has restored service connection for hypertension and granted an increased disability rating of 40 percent for diabetes mellitus with retinopathy, cataracts, and erectile dysfunction (ED).

The Veteran's claim for nonservice-connected pension benefits was denied as he did not have qualifying military service during a period of war. The Board also found that the Veteran should be afforded VA examinations and opinions to determine whether his current respiratory disability, hearing loss, and other disabilities are related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude all forms of gainful employment, and the Board finds that he is not individually unemployable by reason of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's traumatic brain injury and obstructive sleep apnea are found to be service-connected. The PTSD is assigned a 50% disability rating, the left knee and right knee conditions are each rated at 10%, the shoulder strains are not service-connected, the wrist condition does not meet criteria for a higher rating, the spine strain is rated at 10%, the ankle strains do not warrant a higher rating, the hiatal hernia with GERD is rated at 10%, and the headaches are assigned a 30% disability rating. The Veteran's hypertension, DVT, restless leg syndrome, IBS, erectile dysfunction, and hypertensive cardiovascular disease are each rated at 10%.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is proximately due to or permanently aggravated by his service-connected PTSD, and grants the claim of service connection for hypertension.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected bronchitis and sinusitis did not cause or contribute to his death due to cardiac arrest, lung cancer, and hypertension. The medical opinions concluded that these conditions were not related to his death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a left knee disability have been denied as there is no competent evidence to support these claims.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension did not manifest during his active service and is not otherwise etiologically related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The Board concluded that there was no direct or secondary service connection for hypertension.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension had its onset during active service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA and private medical records, as well as a new VA examination to determine the etiology of his kidney disability, hypertension, and acquired psychiatric disability.

The Veteran's hypertension has been rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds that he does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating. The Veteran's other service-connected conditions have not been linked to his military service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's skin condition, valvular heart disease, hypertension, and arteriosclerotic heart disease are not related to his active duty service or herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's claimed conditions were not incurred in service or due to herbicide exposure. The Board found no evidence of Vietnam service and the appellant could not provide any records of alleged exposure.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for hypertension and low back spondylosis were granted. For hypertension, a noncompensable rating was increased to a 10 percent rating throughout the appeal period. For low back spondylosis, a 20 percent rating was maintained prior to May 7, 2013, but no higher ratings are warranted on or after that date.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus and hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of exposure to herbicides or a current disability related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, was not caused or contributed to by any service-connected disability.