Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2001

The Board has granted increased ratings for gouty arthritis, hypertension, and prostatitis. The effective date for the PTSD disability rating increase to 100% is set at May 21, 1991.

The Board has determined that the veteran's residuals of aortic valve replacement and lightheadedness and numbness of the hands and feet are not related to his service-connected hypertension. The Board finds no evidence supporting these claims.

The veteran's claims for service connection for headaches, defective hearing, hypertension, and PTSD have been denied. Service connection has been established for diabetes mellitus (Type II).

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension is likely aggravated by his service-connected PTSD, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted higher initial evaluations for migraine headaches (10% prior to June 10, 1996; 30% as of that date) and spondylosis of the lumbar spine with disc bulging at L4-5 and L5-S1 (20%), but denied hypertension.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for rheumatic heart disease and hypertension on the basis of aggravation, but denied these claims as there is no evidence to support that the conditions were aggravated by military service.

The veteran's left carpal tunnel syndrome, bilateral subcutaneous mastectomies (partly due to service-connected fibrocystic breast disease), tinnitus, migraine headaches, hypertension, and irritable bowel syndrome are all granted. The residuals of her left foot bunionectomy and ostectomy with bilateral hallux valgus are also granted.

The Board dismissed the appeal because the veteran failed to submit a timely Substantive Appeal for the July 1998 rating decision, which granted a 10 percent evaluation for service-connected headaches as secondary to head trauma and denied service connection for hypertension.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for hypertension due to new and material evidence, but denied it on the merits as secondary to a service-connected ulcer condition.

The Board found that the interruption of vocational rehabilitation benefits was proper, but the discontinuance of these benefits was not. The veteran's case was placed in 'interrupted status' and then later in 'discontinued status'.

The veteran's claim for exclusion from countable income as medical expenses the purchase of an air conditioner and water tank in 1998 was denied because he failed to establish that these purchases were medically necessary for his disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and new evidence was submitted to reopen his claim of a sleep disorder, but it was determined that the new evidence did not meet the criteria for reopening the claim. The RO also denied an increased rating for carpal tunnel syndrome.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of hypothermia, cause of death, and Dependents' Educational Assistance benefits. The evidence did not support a finding that any of these conditions were related to his military service.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to assess the impact of the veteran's service-connected disabilities on his ability to work, and the case is remanded for this purpose.

The Board has granted a higher rating of 30 percent for hypertension with left ventricular dysfunction since April 9, 1992. The veteran's angioma serpiginosum is rated at 10 percent since the same date.

The veteran claims service connection for fatigue, arrhythmias, cardiovascular signs and symptoms, and hypertension, to include as manifestations of an undiagnosed illness related to his Gulf War service. The RO denied the claim due to lack of compensable disability. The Board remands the case for further development including a VA examination.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension as it was not shown to be incurred in or aggravated by active service. Service connection for residuals of dental trauma was granted due to the appellant's documented history of dental trauma during service and his current condition.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death due to a fatal myocardial infarction secondary to hypertension, as there was no evidence that the service-connected left leg injury contributed to his death.

The veteran's claims for service connection for Parkinson's disease and a higher evaluation for hypertension are being remanded due to procedural issues.

The veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred from August 4 to August 6, 2000 were denied reimbursement due to his condition stabilizing and the availability of VA facilities.