Hypertension (high blood pressure) Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension (HTN) and has remanded the issues of service connection for cardiomegaly and hypertensive heart disease.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted due to the submission of new and relevant evidence. The issues of service connection for sleep apnea, elevated blood pressure now claimed as hypertension, recurrent gouty arthritis, right great toe, status post left ankle strain, and status post right ankle strain are remanded.

The Veteran was employed in a substantially gainful occupation until June 25, 2013. The Board found that the Veteran remained employable until this date and did not meet the criteria for TDIU prior to June 25, 2013.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, hypothyroidism, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction, rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board granted entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and bilateral pes planus were dismissed. The appeal of his hypertension was granted with a 10 percent rating.

The Board has denied service connection for diabetes, hearing loss, and hypertension. The effective dates for CAD have also been denied.,The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of hypertension and CAD are remanded, as is the claim for TDIU.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted a rating of 50 percent, but no higher. The Veteran's hypertension is granted an initial rating of 10 percent, but no higher.

The Board has denied service connection for the Veteran's left knee condition, finding that the evidence does not establish a nexus between the current disability and his military service.,Service connection for high blood pressure is remanded due to insufficient medical opinion regarding its relationship to tinnitus. The examiner was asked to provide an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that hypertension is aggravated by a service-connected condition.,Service connection for headaches is also remanded, with the same request for an opinion on whether they are aggravated by a service-connected condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his heart disability and diabetes mellitus with nephropathy, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to their combined effects on his physical abilities.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of tinnitus, hypertension, sleep apnea, lumbar arthropathy (lower back), numbness of chin and mouth, cervical radiculopathy, left, cervical radiculopathy, right, right lower lumbar radiculopathy, and left lower lumbar radiculopathy as the Veteran withdrew his appeal in writing.

The Veteran's hypertension condition is causally related to his active duty military service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's conditions are at least as likely as not related to his active-duty service.,The Board also remanded the claims of service connection for a breathing disability (presumed to be asthma) and right ankle disability due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lung cancer, hypertension (claimed as high blood pressure), and supraventricular tachycardia with atherosclerosis (claimed as heart problems) due to insufficient evidence linking these conditions to active-duty service.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea and hypertension, finding that the evidence did not establish an in-service event, disease, or injury related to these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for essential hypertension, finding that his systolic pressure was consistently under 160 and diastolic pressure was most commonly under 100 during the review period.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for hypertension was dismissed without prejudice due to a concurrent election with his supplemental claim, which had not been adjudicated.

The Veteran's hypertension is related to his service and has been granted service connection.,The issue of diabetes mellitus type II (diabetes) being secondary to PTSD remains pending and will be remanded for further review.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) because his service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted a 10 percent rating, and his bilateral pes planus is granted service connection. The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension required medication to control due to elevated blood pressure readings, but did not meet the criteria for higher ratings. For his bilateral pes planus, the Board determined that it was aggravated by active-duty service.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including peripheral neuropathy in both lower extremities, a right shoulder disorder, erectile dysfunction, and cardiovascular and kidney disorders. The appeals were dismissed as there was no evidence to support these claims.