Citation Nr: 20006154
Decision Date: 01/28/20	Archive Date: 01/24/20

DOCKET NO. 19-00 187A
DATE: January 28, 2020

ORDER

Entitlement to service connection for hypertension, as secondary to service-connected disabilities, is granted.

FINDING OF FACT

The Veteran’s hypertension is related to pain associated with his service-connected disabilities. 

CONCLUSION OF LAW

The criteria for entitlement to service connection for hypertension, as secondary to service-connected disabilities, have been met. 38 U.S.C. §§ 1131, 5107(b); 38 C.F.R. §§ 3.102, 3.310(a).

REASONS AND BASES FOR FINDING AND CONCLUSION

The Veteran served on active duty from January 1967 to December 1973.  

This matter comes before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal from a September 2018 rating decision of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO). 

1. Entitlement to service connection for hypertension, as secondary to service-connected disabilities, is granted.

Service connection may be established on a secondary basis for a disability proximately due to or aggravated by a service-connected disease or injury. 38 C.F.R. § 3.310; see also Ward v. Wilkie, 17-1204 (holding that a "permanent worsening" of a non-service-connected disability is not required to establish secondary service connection on the basis of aggravation (i.e., aggravation may include temporary worsening of a disability); Allen v. Brown, 7 Vet. App. 439 (1995) (en banc). To establish secondary service connection, a veteran must show: (1) the existence of a present disability; (2) the existence of a service-connected disability; and (3) a causal relationship between the present disability and the service-connected disability. See Wallin v. West, 11 Vet. App. 509, 512 (1998).

The Veteran has a current diagnosis of a hypertensive disorder. See May 2019 CAPRI Records. He also has several service-connected disabilities that are manifested by pain, including degenerative arthritis of the spine and spinal stenosis, left hip osteoarthritis, internal derangement and arthritis of the right knee, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy. See July 2019 Rating Code Sheet. Thus, the first and second elements of a claim for secondary service connection have been satisfied, as the Veteran has a present disability as well as several service-connected disabilities.  Wallin, 11 Vet. App. at 512. The crux of the case concerns whether there is a nexus between the two.

In regard to the Veteran’s diagnosed hypertension, a VA doctor opined that “given your high level of disability associated with your chronic neck, and right shoulder pain in the setting of degenerative disk disease complicated by cervical radiculopathy as well as your chronic lumbosacral pain and right knee pain in the setting of osteoarthritis status post 2 prior knee surgeries, it is felt that an element of your blood pressure is secondary to your pain.  We aim to take care of your blood pressure by treating you with antihypertensives but also controlling your pain and arthritis and degenerative disk disease.” See December 2018 VA Medical Opinion. The Board notes that no alternate cause for the Veteran’s hypertension appears in his medical record.  Given the VA doctor’s medical opinion, the Board finds that the Veteran’s diagnosed hypertension is secondary to pain associated with his service-connected disabilities.  Accordingly, entitlement to service connection for hypertension as secondary to service-connected disabilities is granted. 

 

 

P.M. DILORENZO

Veterans Law Judge

Board of Veterans’ Appeals

Attorney for the Board	T. Mohammad

The Board’s decision in this case is binding only with respect to the instant matter decided. This decision is not precedential, and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.