Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2004

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for various conditions, including osteoarthritis, actinic keratosis, ulcers, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, peripheral vascular disease, and prostate cancer, all claimed to be due to exposure to ionizing radiation. The appeal was dismissed as there is no indication of such exposure.

The veteran's claims for service connection for bronchitis, arthritis, and hypertension due to herbicide exposure were denied.,It was determined that the conditions did not begin during or as a result of active service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's cause of death, acute cardiac failure, was related to his service-connected hypertension, which is presumed to have begun during his period of active duty. Therefore, service connection for the cause of death is granted.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, hypertension (secondary to DDT exposure), and tumors of the back (secondary to DDT exposure).

The case is being remanded for further action including addressing the issues of reopening service connection claims and increasing the rating for kidney stones. The veteran's medical records will be requested to ensure all relevant evidence has been considered.

The Board has granted a disability rating of 60 percent for the veteran's service-connected status post inferior wall myocardial infarction with essential hypertension, effective from January 12, 1998. The veteran is also granted entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to his service-connected disabilities.

The veteran's claims for service connection for psoriasis and hypertension were denied. The claim for PTSD was also denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD.

The veteran's motion for revision of a decision based on CUE was dismissed without prejudice due to non-compliance with the pleading requirements.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and frostbitten feet, finding no evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board found no evidence of hypertension or sinusitis with headaches during service and denied the veteran's claims.,There is insufficient medical evidence to establish a connection between current conditions and service.

The Board denied service connection for chest pain and breathing problems, but granted a 30% rating for hypertension with chronic renal insufficiency.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including arthritis, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and skin cancer. The decision also noted that new evidence had been submitted to reopen a claim of service connection for osteoarthritis with disc disease of the dorsocervical spine.

The veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining private medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The veteran's application for Service Disabled Insurance was not timely, and therefore denied. There are no premiums to be waived as the veteran did not meet the criteria for a waiver of premiums under VA regulations.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for Bipolar Disorder and Residuals of Right Hand Injury, but denied the claim for Hypertension. The decision on whether new and material evidence was received to reopen these claims is mixed.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension as likely as not began during service and grants the claim for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the left foot, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty or service-connected diabetes mellitus. The prostate cancer claim was granted with a noncompensable rating effective in August 2003.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for arteriosclerotic heart disease with hypertension (claimed now to include congestive heart failure) and granted it. The claims for diabetes mellitus and ulcerative colitis were not supported by the evidence presented.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, as the additional evidence does not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for cardiovascular disease, including hypertension, due to new evidence submitted since the 1977 denial. The claim is now considered on its merits.