Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2002

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and determined that it was incurred in service.

The Board finds that the veteran's eye disorder, diagnosed as ocular hypertension, is of service origin and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and hypertension. The veteran was granted service connection for hypertension but assigned a 10 percent evaluation.

The Board found that the veteran's cause of death, an acute myocardial infarction, was not caused or materially affected by any service-connected disability. The appellant claimed that her husband's longstanding disabilities and bedridden state contributed to his death.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not begin during or as a result of his military service.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for hypertension with vascular heart disease and residuals of a right knee injury, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims based on her reserve/National Guard service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection for residuals of a right leg injury, an acquired psychiatric disorder (depression), or cardiovascular disease, to include hypertension.

The Board has granted service connection for the claimed conditions (depression, anxiety, headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, stomach disorder, and heart disorder) as secondary to PTSD.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, warranting TDIU. The claim of service connection for hypertension is denied due to lack of evidence showing it was incurred in service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability related to his military service.

The Board denied the appellant's claims of service connection for PTSD, hypertension, cervical spine disorder, and lumbar spine disorder. The evidence did not support a current diagnosis of PTSD or any link between the claimed conditions and active duty service.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for dependency and indemnity compensation benefits, finding that the claim was not filed until February 9, 1999 when new evidence (the amended death certificate) established entitlement.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, finding that the evidence is in equipoise on whether it was incurred during active duty service. The claim for a respiratory or pulmonary disorder remains pending.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension and heart disorder did not begin during or as a result of his military service. The psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as personality disorder, was also found to be unrelated to service.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence linking the condition to service or a service-connected disability.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension, with atrial fibrillation, and right parietal arteriovenous malformation, with headaches, were not incurred or aggravated by active duty service. The veteran's sleep disturbance is also not considered to be due to service.

The Board finds that the veteran's hypertension is attributable to service, while his bilateral eye disorder does not meet the criteria for service connection as it is a refractive error.

The Board found that the veteran's cardiovascular disorder, sinusitis with rhinitis, and reduced lung capacity (asthma) were not incurred or aggravated by active duty service. The veteran was diagnosed with these conditions after separation from service.

The veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this claim.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for nicotine dependence, hypertension, and COPD as secondary to nicotine dependence due to the prohibition on such claims under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1103.