Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2000

The veteran's claim for special monthly pension benefits based on the need for regular aid and attendance or being housebound is currently pending. The RO has requested additional evidence and will reassess his disability ratings after further examination.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for major depression, hypertension, and cervical disc disease due to a lack of competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The veteran's multiple disabilities do not meet the criteria for a permanent and total disability rating for pension purposes based on his service-connected conditions, as they are not of sufficient severity to render him permanently unemployable.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected lumbar radiculopathy and hypertension do not warrant increased disability ratings.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for hypertension and osteoarthritis of the spine, shoulders, left knee, and elbows. The right knee disability was rated at 30 percent disabling.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for a right knee disorder and hypertension, finding that there was no well-grounded evidence to support these claims.

The Board has determined that the claim for service connection for hypertension secondary to medication used to treat service-connected rheumatoid arthritis is not well grounded.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome and hypertension are not well grounded, as there is no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his period of active service.

The Board found that the veteran's claims for service connection for bleeding gums, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, a disability manifested by lung and chest pain, and an esophageal ulcer as secondary to exposure to ionizing radiation are not well-grounded.

The veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and bilateral hearing loss are granted as his conditions can be related to his service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a gastrointestinal disability and for an initial rating of 10 percent for hypertension. The veteran was granted service connection for hypertension, but his claim for a higher initial rating was denied.

The Board found that the veteran's seizures and hypertension were not incurred or aggravated by service, as there was no medical evidence linking these conditions to her military service.

The Board found that the veteran did not have service-connected disabilities and thus could not establish service connection for the cause of his death. The appellant's claims for accrued benefits were also denied as she had not submitted a timely application.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension is secondary to his service-connected PTSD and grants this claim. The issue of a higher initial evaluation for PTSD remains pending.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, back disability, and psychiatric disability (claimed as fainting), but finds that none of these claims are well grounded.

The veteran's service-connected bronchiectasis with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and sinusitis are found to be of such severity as to prevent him from engaging in any substantially gainful employment consistent with his educational attainment and occupational experience, warranting a total disability rating on the basis of individual unemployability.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for hypertension, heart disease, diabetes mellitus and above the left knee amputation.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for hypertension, concluding that the evidence does not support a finding of pre-existing hypertension prior to service entry and that there was no increase in severity during active duty.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension is currently rated at 20 percent, effective September 11, 1997. The veteran appealed for a higher rating but was denied as there were no blood pressure readings exceeding the criteria for a higher rating under the current regulations.

The Board found that the veteran's pulmonary tuberculosis clearly existed prior to his entry into military service and was not aggravated during service. The claims for bronchitis, asthma, and hypertension resulting from tobacco use in service were denied as there is no evidence of their presence or development during service.