Hypertension (high blood pressure) Board decisions

The Veteran is seeking service connection for hypertension and a higher evaluation for his upper extremity neuropathies. He also seeks severance of service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD).,The Board has determined that the issue of whether the severance of service connection for CAD was proper needs to be remanded due to additional development being required.,The Veteran is seeking a higher evaluation for his depression and headaches, as well as TDIU. He also seeks an earlier effective date for his upper extremity neuropathies.,The Veteran is seeking a higher evaluation for his right and left upper extremity neuropathies. The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the severity of these conditions.,The Veteran is seeking a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities, including hypertension, coronary artery disease, depression, and upper extremity neuropathies. Additional development is required for this issue as well.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is proximately due to his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II, and grants this claim.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to insufficient VA examinations and additional evidence may be received. The hypertension claim is deferred until other claims are finally adjudicated.

The Board has remanded the appeal for additional development due to a need for another medical opinion regarding service connection claims.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not due to carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment, or similar instance of fault on VA's part in furnishing medical treatment.,VA did not provide evidence showing that the cortisone injection caused an increase in blood sugar level and contributed substantially or materially to cause death.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records from 1979 to 2006, scheduling a VA examination for the duodenal ulcer with gastroesophageal reflux disease, arranging for an opinion on the etiology of hypertension and pes planus, and providing a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, lumbosacral strain with facet syndrome, varicosities and post-phlebitic syndrome of the right leg, varicosities and post-phlebitic syndrome of the left leg, and dermatitis.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted on an extraschedular basis due to his service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and cervical/lumbar spine disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records from 1974 to 1990 and providing supplemental opinions regarding his hypertension.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA examination reports and treatment records. The claims for increased ratings for hypertension and diabetic neuropathy of the upper extremities are also being remanded.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is moot as he has been granted a 100% schedular rating and special monthly compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1114(s). The appeal of the psychiatric disorder claims is also dismissed as they are encompassed within his now service-connected psychiatric disorder.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and erectile dysfunction, finding that the conditions did not have their onset in active duty service or are otherwise related to active duty service, including as due to service-connected Diabetes Mellitus Type II.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral foot disability is not etiologically related to active military service.,The preponderance of evidence shows that the Veteran's hypertension did not occur in or is otherwise related to active military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension had its onset during service and is continuously present since then, meeting the criteria for service connection. The claim for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.

The Board denied an increased rating for diabetes mellitus and found no basis for a separate evaluation of erectile dysfunction. The hypertension and heart condition claims are remanded as the VA examiner's opinion did not address whether these conditions were caused or aggravated by diabetes.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are presumed to have been incurred as a result of service exposure to herbicide agents like Agent Orange. The Board finds that the Veteran has current diagnoses for these conditions.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a diagnosed jaw disability or any other service-connected condition. The initial ratings for hypertension, GERD with hiatal hernia, tinea pedis of the bilateral feet, and right wrist CTS are denied as there is no current evidence of these conditions.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected condition, and his claims for service connection were denied. The accrued benefits claims related to the Veteran's disabilities are also denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension and atypical Parkinson's disease due to incomplete VA treatment records, lack of adequate medical opinions regarding causation, and need for further development.