Hypertension (high blood pressure) Board decisions

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a new examination for the sinus/rhinitis disorder. The PTSD rating issue is also being remanded to address recent mental health treatment records.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, finding it at least as likely as not related to the Veteran's presumed exposure to herbicide agents during his service in Vietnam.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the causes of death and whether the Veteran's pancreatic cancer was related to his service. The AOJ is instructed to obtain a VA medical opinion on these issues.

The Board dismissed all service connection claims for various conditions, including shoulder disorders, spine disorders, peripheral neuropathies, and psychiatric disorders, due to exposure at Camp Lejeune. The decision is based on the Veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the service connection claims for type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, prostate disability, and peripheral neuropathy due to toxic exposure. The Veteran's diabetes is not related to military service, according to a recent opinion.

Service connection for hypertension is granted. Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding whether the Veteran's hypertension is secondary to his service-connected obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board has determined that additional examinations and opinions are needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection for gout, left foot and hypertension. The issues of increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine; osteoarthritis of the right hip with painful limitation of extension; osteoarthritis of the left hip with limitation of flexion of the thigh; and osteoarthritis of the left hip with impairment of the thigh are also remanded.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as service connected due to exposure to herbicide agents, specifically Agent Orange, during his military service. The Board found that the evidence supports a direct relationship between his service and his condition.

The Veteran's claims for Parkinson's disease, hypertension, prostate cancer, and loss of teeth are denied as they do not meet the criteria for service connection. The heart disorder claim is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's hypertension, sleep apnea, hearing loss, and spondylosis and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine are all rated as they were originally. The issue of service connection for degenerative arthritis of the left knee is remanded due to new evidence submitted since the last denial.

The Board denied service connection for heart disability, hypertension, and residuals of a gunshot wound to the left trunk due to lack of evidence showing in-service incurrence or relationship to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have precluded him from securing and following substantially gainful employment during the period on appeal, warranting a grant of TDIU.

The Veteran was granted initial compensable ratings for hypertension and pseudofolliculitis barbae, but denied an increased rating for right knee disability. The right knee disability is currently rated as 20 percent disabling prior to November 4, 2022, and the appeal remains on hold due to a remand.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a right knee fragmentation wound scar is granted. The Board finds that the Veteran's current diagnosis of a right knee scar is related to his active military service, specifically an in-service shrapnel wound during his tour in Vietnam. For other issues, including increased ratings for various disabilities and renal insufficiency prior to December 14, 2020, the decision remains pending as these are not final decisions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for Type II diabetes mellitus, recurrent skin disability to include dermatitis and eczema, hypertension, and a recurrent disability manifested by weight loss are all denied as there is no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicide agents or other presumptive conditions. The diagnoses were not shown during active service or within many years thereafter.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD and depressive disorder). The remaining issues are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a back disability, hypertension, sleep apnea, and erectile dysfunction due to ambiguities in medical opinions and inconsistencies with prior examinations.

The Veteran's service connection claim for Type II diabetes mellitus is granted. The claims for right upper extremity, left upper extremity, right lower extremity, and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, as well as hypertension are remanded due to the need for further examination and evidence collection.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, sleep apnea, carpal tunnel syndromes, sebaceous cyst, left hand joint pain, gallstones, and knee, shoulder, elbow, and wrist disorders. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's military service or exposure to burn pits.