Hypertension (high blood pressure) Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis and hypertension remain pending as the Board has remanded them due to inadequate examination reports. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and the initial rating for PTSD, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to active service or a service-connected disability. The Veteran's current symptoms did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the applicable VA rating schedule.

The Board has determined that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus caused or aggravated his hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities, thus granting service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, malaria residuals, hypertension, and sleep apnea have been denied as there is no current diagnosis or evidence of in-service occurrence or continuity of symptomatology.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain updated VA treatment records and to provide the Veteran with an addendum opinion regarding his hypertension, including as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has remanded the case due to the Veteran's request for a videoconference hearing before the Board.

The Board has reopened the claims for right elbow and right hand disabilities, granted service connection for chronic sinusitis, cervical spondylosis, and hypertension, and denied all other issues on appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The case is REMANDED for further development.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records and a special VA aid and attendance/housebound examination.

The Board has determined that service connection is warranted for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and aortic stenosis as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's erectile dysfunction is service-connected as secondary to his service-connected hypertension with chronic renal insufficiency and major depressive disorder.

The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, as it was not incurred in or related to active military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, nor may it be presumed to have been so incurred. The opinion provided concluded that the Veteran's hypertension is less likely than not related to his military service or caused or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension did not manifest during service or within one year of discharge, and there is no evidence linking it to his military service. The claim for service connection for hypertension is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and arranging for a new VA examination. The issues of entitlement to an initial compensable evaluation for an abdominal aortic aneurysm and entitlement to an increased disability evaluation for hypertension are pending.

The Veteran's hypertension is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA and Tricare medical records from the period of his service. The examiner will assess whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's hypertension is related to his military service or service-connected sinusitis.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service connection claims for diabetes mellitus, renal hypertension with nephropathy, bilateral lower extremity peripheral artery disease, and coronary artery disease were granted as presumptive conditions due to herbicide exposure. The effective date of November 21, 2007 is established.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to the Veteran's receipt of Social Security Administration (SSA) disability benefits and outstanding medical records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not have service in Vietnam and therefore cannot be presumed to have been exposed to herbicides. As a result, the claims for diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease (CAD), hypertension, colon cancer, asthma, sleep related alveolar hyperventilation, and hyperlipidemia are denied.