Hypertension (high blood pressure) Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and coronary artery disease (CAD) as secondary to hypertension. Obstructive sleep apnea is addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities is being remanded due to the need for additional development of evidence, including Social Security Administration records and a VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to address whether his current hypertension is secondary to his service-connected costochondritis.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain an addendum opinion from the VA examiner who provided the August 2011 VA examination and opinion report, addressing whether the Veteran's current hypertension disorder preexisted his period of service from February 2003 to January 2005, if so, whether it was aggravated during that period, and whether any of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities caused or aggravated the condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, prostatitis, and erectile dysfunction. The evidence did not support a finding of current disability or a link to military service.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, drug dependency, gastrointestinal disability, hypertension, and an acquired psychiatric disability (excluding PTSD) have been denied. The Veteran's drug dependency is not service-connected as it was the result of willful misconduct.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA clinical records and scheduling an examination to assess the severity of his PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and the need for further development, including obtaining service personnel records, verifying herbicide exposure, and obtaining private treatment records.

The Board has determined that additional evidentiary development is necessary prior to the readjudication of the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for hypertension and a sleep disorder, both to include as secondary to service-connected PTSD, DM, and/or ischemic heart disease.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, finding that the Veteran's claimed in-service stressors are credible and have established a link to her current symptoms. The claim for hypertension remains denied as new evidence does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, which is secondary to his service-connected coronary artery disease (CAD), diabetes mellitus, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), has been remanded due to inadequate examination reports. The Board requested additional development including obtaining medical records prior to 2004 and requesting an addendum opinion from the VA examiner.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a cardiovascular disorder other than coronary artery disease and essential hypertension has been withdrawn prior to the Board's decision.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations, review of new evidence, and compliance with procedural requirements.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension and pseudofolliculitis barbae were not incurred or aggravated by service, and thus denied both issues. The Veteran's hypertension was not present during service or within one year of separation, and there is no evidence linking it to service. His pseudofolliculitis barbae does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 7806.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for tinnitus, hypertension, and peripheral neuropathy. The Board found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service.

The Board denied service connection for the claimed conditions, finding that they were not caused or aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for a depressive disorder and hypertension, finding that these conditions are likely to have had their clinical onset during the Veteran's active service. The right knee meniscus tear status-post arthroscopy is also granted an initial 10% rating.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension was not caused by or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's heart disorders were not shown to be related to his military service and the Board denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sickle cell disease has been reopened and is granted. He is also awarded secondary service connection for multiple conditions as secondary to his sickle cell disease, including right shoulder/arm disorder, hemorrhoids (blood in stool), fungal dermatitis, psychiatric disorder (depression), hypertension, diabetes mellitus, low back disorder, heart condition, eye disorders (glaucoma and blindness in the left eye), muscle and joint pain, erectile dysfunction, and alopecia. His rating for vertigo remains at 30 percent.