Hypertension (high blood pressure) Board decisions

The Veteran's right and left foot disabilities are rated at 20 percent each, reflecting moderately severe residuals of foot injuries.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for hypertension has been reopened and granted.,Service connection is established for left shoulder impingement, status-post decompression, with mild functional loss. The acquired psychiatric disorder (major depressive disorder and PTSD) is also service connected.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by service and is not due to his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran does not have hypertension that is service-connected, as it did not manifest during his military service or within one year of separation. The Board finds no causal relationship between the Veteran's hypertension and his service-connected type II diabetes mellitus.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by service and may not be presumed to have been incurred in service. The evidence does not support a finding of secondary service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for GERD, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type II, and hypertension as due to exposure to Agent Orange or asbestos. The Board found that there was no evidence of in-country service in Vietnam, no qualifying exposure to herbicides off-shore, and no positive association between exposure to herbicides and any condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if his diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, or hypertension are related to service.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses for treatment of a non-service-connected condition from December 8 to December 10, 2006 at Vanderbilt University Medical Center are granted.

The Board has determined that additional VA examinations and a search for private treatment records are needed to properly evaluate the Veteran's claims. The Veteran is also denied service connection for sciatica of the right lower extremity, tension headaches secondary to hypertension, bilateral hearing loss disability, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, and hypertension.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient VCAA notice and the need for a VA examination regarding the Veteran's arthritis claim. The hypertension claim is also being remanded.

The Veteran is service-connected for multiple conditions and the Board finds that his service-connected disabilities make him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, warranting a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability or hypertension, and therefore cannot establish service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's emergency medical treatment at Hendersonville Medical Center on November 8, 2009 was found to be appropriate due to the severity of his symptoms and the prudent layperson expectation that delay in seeking immediate medical attention would have been hazardous.

The Veteran's service-connected focal glomerulosclerosis with hypertension and status post myocardial infarction is not manifested by the required symptoms for a higher rating, and he does not meet the criteria for TDIU due to his service-connected disability alone.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, and therefore grants service connection for hypertension as secondary to diabetes.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA disability benefits records and reconsidering the issues on appeal.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for hearing loss, residuals of head injury, adjustment disorder with depressed mood, hypertension, fatty liver, glucose intolerance, and lumbar degenerative arthritis. The decision also addressed a claim for overpayment of pension benefits.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including bilateral elbow, wrist, and knee disabilities, prostate disability, psychiatric disability, hypertension, and skin disability are being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease, presumed due to exposure to herbicides in Vietnam. Service connection was denied for hearing loss, internal hemorrhoids, ulcerative proctitis, hypertension, a heart disorder (presumed secondary to hypertension), right kidney disorder (renal cell carcinoma), Hashimoto's thyroiditis with goiter, and gallstones.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination to determine if the Veteran has any current cardiovascular disability other than hypertension and whether it is related to service or service-connected conditions.