Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2000

The veteran's claims for service connection were denied, and the appeal was dismissed due to withdrawal of appeals by the appellant. The claim for a chronic back disability remains pending.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and asthma, finding the claims were not well grounded due to lack of medical evidence associating these conditions with military service.

The veteran's unauthorized medical care received at Moses Cone Hospital was not for treatment of a service-connected disability, and thus the claim for payment/reimbursement is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his hypertension and found that his arthritis claim was not well grounded.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and PTSD. The case is remanded for further examination and review.

The veteran's claim for a total disability rating for pension purposes was denied. The Board found that he failed to present evidence of a well-grounded claim for service connection for back and lower extremity disabilities under the provisions of 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Board denied increased ratings for the veteran's service-connected hypertension, degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine with chronic lumbar strain, duodenal ulcer/gastroduodenitis, and cervical spine disability.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension as it is not well grounded.,The veteran's service-connected panic disorder, without agoraphobia, is currently rated at 10 percent and remains in effect since November 25, 1993.

The Board found no competent medical evidence linking the veteran's current heart murmur and hypertension to his military service, thus denying the claim.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his service-connected heart condition, including hypertension, is granted. The highest possible evaluation under the rating schedule for cardiovascular disability will be considered.

The appellant has withdrawn his appeal for restoring the previously assigned disability rating of 20 percent for hypertension. As a result, the Board lacks jurisdiction to further consider this claim.

The Board found that the veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension was not well-grounded and denied it.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected hypertension is being remanded to the RO for further development, including scheduling a VA examination and obtaining additional medical records. The veteran will be given the opportunity to appear at a Travel Board hearing if he desires.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for service connection for heart disease is well grounded and granted. The case was remanded to consider additional evidence, including a possible link between malnutrition during POW status and current heart disease.

The Board has ordered additional development to determine the percentage of impairment caused by each specific disability shown in the evidence, including recent medical records and updated financial information.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims of service connection for a cardiovascular disorder, generalized arthritis, and diabetes mellitus are not well grounded. The evidence does not show these conditions during service or within one year after service, nor is there competent medical evidence linking them to service.

The veteran's degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine warrants a 30 percent disability evaluation, while his congestive heart failure with hypertension and paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia with myocardial infarctions does not meet the criteria for a rating greater than 60 percent.

The veteran's claim for special monthly pension based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another person was denied as he does not suffer from disabilities that render him so nearly helpless as to need such assistance.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension and a psychiatric disorder, as well as his claim that VA erred in failing to adjudicate these issues. The decision also found that new evidence submitted did not meet the criteria to reopen the claim of service connection for a psychiatric disorder.

The Board denied reopening the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death due to lack of new and material evidence.