The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete STRs and the need for an addendum from a VA medical examiner regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's hypertension. The issues include confirmation of completeness of the Veteran's service treatment records and obtaining an opinion on whether the Veteran’s hypertension was aggravated by his service-connected MDD, other service-connected disabilities, or their medications.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there were incomplete STRs and needed a VA medical examiner to address the issue of aggravation of hypertension due to service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Hypertension (HTN), Anxiety Disorder, Asthma, Chronic Pansinusitis with Allergic Rhinitis, Lumbar Myofascial Strain and Degenerative Joint Disease, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Tinnitus, Deviated Nasal Septum
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 10, 2018
- Citation
- 18133064
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 18133064.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Denied
The Veteran's initial ratings for anxiety disorder and TBI were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and dismissed his appeals regarding increased ratings for tinnitus and a right hand disability due to lack of timely filing of Notice of Disagreement.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including GAD, MDD, bruxism, migraines/headaches, tinnitus, hip pain, iliotibial band syndrome, and leg stress fractures. The evidence does not support current diagnoses of these conditions during the appeal period.
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