Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2000

The Board has ordered the RO to obtain all relevant medical records, including ophthalmology reports. The veteran's claim for special monthly pension based on need for aid and attendance or being housebound is remanded due to incomplete information.

The Board has determined that the appellant's solar keratoses (pre-cancerous) of the forehead and scalp, excessive tooth loss with bone loss, and fragile skin with excessive bruising are related to service exposure to ionizing radiation. The claims for these conditions have been granted.

The veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease with left ventricular dysfunction, cardiac enlargement and hypertension was rated at 60 percent from March 22, 1996 to January 11, 1998.

The Board dismissed the veteran's appeals concerning service connection for hypertension and an eye condition, as well as her attempts to reopen previously denied claims for ear infections and pain and numbness of the extremities. The evidence submitted did not meet the criteria for new and material evidence.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and a chronic acquired abdominal disorder to include stomach ulcers and GERD, but finds that these claims are not well grounded.

The Board denied service connection for heart disease and hypertension, finding the veteran's claim to be not well grounded due to her self-limited peripartum cardiomyopathy and gestational hypertension.

The veteran's PTSD is productive of considerable social and occupational impairment, with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform tasks due to symptoms including sleeplessness, irritability, anxiety, and social isolation. The disability does not meet the criteria for more severe impairment.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for glomerulonephritis with hypertension and carotid occlusion, finding that the condition is primarily manifested by well-controlled hypertension, slight edema, and carotid artery disease without symptoms. The evidence does not support a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic code.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for PTSD, hypertension (including as secondary to PTSD), and a chronic skin disorder are not well-grounded because there is no credible evidence of an in-service stressor or exposure to Agent Orange. As such, service connection cannot be granted.

The veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the veteran's unemployability by reason of his service-connected disabilities. Additional medical examinations and records are needed.

The Board found that the veteran's claims for service connection for sinusitis, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and a skin disorder were not well-grounded. The evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has established service connection for hypertension, gastrointestinal disorder, rhinitis, rash, and PTSD. The veteran's claims are supported by medical records showing diagnoses in service and continuing symptoms post-service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected hypertension and pulmonary sarcoidosis with mild restrictive lung disease, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension was not incurred in service and is not causally related to his period of service or to his service-connected PTSD. Therefore, service connection for hypertension is not warranted.

The veteran's disabilities, while disabling, do not meet the criteria for a permanent and total disability rating for pension purposes due to their combined effect on his ability to work.

The Board has dismissed the veteran's appeal for service connection on all issues due to failure to file a timely and adequate substantive appeal.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for the cause of the veteran's death. The appellant is seeking service connection for ischemic heart disease, which she claims was caused by beriberi during his captivity as a POW.

The Board has determined that the veteran's coronary stenosis with angina and hypertension is appropriately rated as 60 percent disabling under both the old and amended diagnostic criteria of 7005, warranting a grant of the current evaluation.

The Board denied service connection for essential hypertension, finding that the veteran's pre-existing condition worsened during his Gulf War service.,The Board also found that there is no well-grounded claim for service connection for residuals of an acromioclavicular separation as there is no evidence of a current disability.