Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2004

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to uncertainty in the findings of a previous VA examination and the need for further medical opinions regarding service connection claims.

The VA has determined that the veteran's hypertension does not warrant a rating higher than 20 percent due to her blood pressure readings consistently being below the threshold for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic code.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and heart disease, both claimed as secondary to his service-connected PTSD. The medical evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to his military service or his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has granted service connection for herniated discs at L1-2 and C4-5, spondylosis at T4-12, and ocular hypertension. The veteran's hypertension is not currently being treated.

The veteran is seeking service connection for diabetes mellitus with hypertension, which he claims is secondary to herbicide exposure. The claim has been remanded due to the need for additional development and notification.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current headaches and hypertension are proximately due to or the result of his service-connected PTSD, granting secondary service connection for both conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for hearing loss in his left ear and tinnitus, but granted a higher rating of 40% for gouty arthritis. The claim for service connection for hypertension was not reopened.

The veteran's PTSD is rated at 30 percent, and his claims for hypertension and bilateral hearing loss were denied as not service-connected.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and bronchiectasis (claimed as residuals of inservice pneumonia). The veteran's hypertension was not manifest during service or within a year thereafter, and there is no evidence linking his current condition to service. For bronchiectasis, the Board found that new and material evidence had been presented to reopen the claim but did not decide on its merits.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and numbness of the hands as peripheral neuropathy, finding no evidence linking these conditions to military service.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for service connection and a total rating for compensation purposes based on individual unemployability due to incomplete notice, need for additional development regarding chest pain etiology, and need for an examination to determine if the veteran is unemployable.

The Board has determined that the evidence supports a grant of service connection for hypertension and finds it incurred in active service. The claim for an increased disability rating for pulmonary tuberculosis is granted.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have asbestosis or hypertension, and these conditions were not incurred in service. The claims for PTSD and major depressive disorder are addressed separately.

The veteran's disabilities do not meet the criteria for special monthly pension based on need for regular aid and attendance or being housebound.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected neuritis did not cause or contribute to his death, and denied entitlement to service connection for the cause of his death.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and assigned a 40 percent rating for the veteran's low back disability, effective from December 1, 2003. The decision also addressed the veteran's claim for higher evaluation of his low back disability.

The Board has ordered the VA to obtain and review the veteran's service records, including those from his period of active duty for training in the Marine Corps Reserve. The specialist will then determine if hypertension began during or was aggravated by a period of active service.

The veteran's hypertension was found to have its onset during service and is therefore granted service connection.

The veteran's death was caused by hypoxemia due to pneumonia, with significant contributing conditions including Parkinson's disease, peripheral vascular disease, and hypertension. The Board has ordered a VA medical opinion to determine if the service-connected valvular heart disability played any role in causing or contributing to the cause of death.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for service connection for adenocarcinoma of the prostate and essential hypertension due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.