Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2003

The veteran's hypertension and hiatal hernia with reflux esophagitis and diverticulitis have been granted a 10% rating. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied, but the veteran is still receiving benefits for this condition as it was previously granted.

The veteran's appeal for service connection for hyperlipidemia and hypertension was dismissed due to the withdrawal of his substantive appeal.

The veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension is being remanded due to the need to obtain additional medical records and clarify whether he received treatment at a military hospital in San Pedro, California, during or shortly after his service.

The VA determined that the veteran's coronary artery disease and hypertension do not warrant a higher rating, as his condition is stable with no significant episodes of acute congestive heart failure or left ventricular dysfunction.

The Board has remanded the case for further review of new evidence related to reopening a claim for service connection for hypertension and for consideration of the veteran's claim for asbestosis.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for a compensable rating for contact dermatitis of the hands and an initial noncompensable rating for prostate cancer with postoperative residuals of radical prostatectomy and impotence, effective from September 1, 2002.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to a regulatory issue, and the RO should readjudicate the claim taking into account all evidence received since the February 1999 supplemental statement of the case.

The Board found that there is no evidence of the claimed conditions during service or within one year after separation, and thus denied the claims for service connection.

The Board has ordered further development due to a procedural issue and the matter is now remanded for readjudication.

The Board found that the veteran's right nephrectomy was medically necessary and properly performed, but concluded that VA did not prescribe hypertension medication that caused his renal shutdown. The right nephrectomy did not result in additional disability beyond the intended result of the surgical treatment.

The veteran's hypertension is currently rated at 10 percent, but his blood pressure readings do not consistently meet the criteria for a higher rating. The Board found that his overall level of symptomatology does not warrant a 20 percent or higher rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current low back disorder is incurred in service, and thus grants service connection for this condition. The other issues of bilateral hearing loss, bilateral hip disorder, and hypertension are remanded for further development.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and thus denied his claim for service connection for the cause of death.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension and heart disease are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of such conditions during or immediately following service. The VA examiner concluded that the current conditions are more likely idiopathic.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension is related to active service and granted his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the application to reopen the claim for service connection for the cause of death and also denied accrued benefits based on the veteran's lifetime claim under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 due to lack of new and material evidence.

The veteran's service-connected ischemic heart disease is found to have contributed substantially or materially to his death, which occurred in September 1999. The Board grants the claim for service connection for the cause of death.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for hypertension with bilateral nephrosclerosis and status post cerebral hemorrhage, right hemisphere producing left hemiparesis with contraction of left upper and lower extremities.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for the cause of her son's death and for DIC benefits, finding that neither hypertension nor sub-arachnoid hemorrhages were incurred in or aggravated by service. The veteran's service-connected disabilities did not contribute to his death.

The veteran's hypertension is granted an increased evaluation to 10 percent, effective from the date of the January 1998 rating decision.