Hypertension (high blood pressure) Board decisions

The Veteran's Type II diabetes mellitus is presumed to be due to exposure to herbicides during service. The Board finds that the Veteran's hypertension, which started before his diagnosis of diabetes, may also be related to his diabetes.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, erectile dysfunction, major depressive disorder, narcolepsy, sleep apnea, and varicose veins. The Veteran's lay assertions regarding the development of these conditions during active duty or National Guard training were not credible.

The Veteran's TMJ is currently rated as 10 percent disabling, and the Board finds no basis to grant a higher rating.,Service connection for chronic bronchitis has been granted. The Board found that there was continuity of symptoms since service.

The Veteran's combined rating of 70 percent from multiple service-connected disabilities does not meet the criteria for a TDIU rating.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional VA medical records and providing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hypertension and cardiac disability.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Board has reopened the claim for PTSD and granted service connection. The claims for hypertension and herpes simplex virus were denied.

The Board found no evidence of hypertension during service or within one year post-service, and the Veteran's lay assertions were not credible. Therefore, service connection for hypertension was denied.

The Board found that the appellant did not have a bilateral ankle disability or hypertension incurred in service and denied both claims.

The Veteran's unauthorized hospitalization at Hillcrest Medical Center for atrial fibrillation and COPD was found to meet the criteria for payment or reimbursement by VA, as it constituted a medical emergency that prevented timely transfer to a VA facility.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no in-service disease or injury and insufficient medical evidence to establish a nexus between current hypertension and service. The Board also noted that hypertension had not manifested within the one-year presumptive period after service.

The Board has granted a 60 percent evaluation for the Veteran's service-connected asthma, effective from the date of this decision. The criteria for a higher 100 percent evaluation have not been met.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disorder, finding that the Veteran's current degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine is causally related to his active service. The claims for hypertension and heart murmur were withdrawn by the Veteran prior to decision.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension was aggravated by his service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and diabetes. The decision grants service connection for hypertension based on aggravation.

The Board has ordered a remand for further development, including obtaining VA genitourinary examinations with a nephrologist to determine the nature and extent of any essential hypertension and whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's service-connected renal colic caused or permanently worsened his hypertension.

The Veteran's unauthorized private medical expenses incurred on September 15, 2008 at Citrus Memorial Hospital were covered under the Veterans Millennium Health Care and Benefits Act due to the severity of his symptoms and the unavailability of VA facilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus were denied. The Board found that there was no evidence of herbicide exposure in Vietnam, and thus the presumption does not apply to these conditions.

The Veteran's death is presumed to have been caused by ischemic heart disease, which was found to be service-connected due to exposure to herbicides in Vietnam. The appellant's claim for service connection for cause of the Veteran's death is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected hypertension is rated at 10 percent, and his cervical spondylosis remains at the initial evaluation of 10 percent. The claim for an increased rating for cervical spondylosis has been granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and bladder cancer, finding no evidence of in-service onset or association with service.