Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2004

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, arthritis, and gout as there was no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his active military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's kidney disease is not secondary to his service-connected hypertension.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the inaudibility of his Travel Board hearing recording, and he has requested another hearing. The case will be returned to the Board after the new hearing.

The VA has not obtained all relevant treatment records and employment records, and the appellant needs to provide any additional evidence. The case is being remanded for further development.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected hypertension did not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating based on the evidence of record.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations of hypertension and left ear hearing loss disability, as well as his service connection claims for heart disease, tinnitus, PTSD, and sinusitis. The RO found that there was no current evidence of a compensable level of hearing loss or a diagnosis of heart disease, PTSD, or sinusitis in service.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for hypertension and a skin disorder. The claim for hypertension was denied because there is no evidence showing that it was present in service or within one year after separation, and it is not related to any service-connected disability. The claim for a skin disorder was denied as final due to lack of timely appeal, but new and material evidence has been submitted since the September 1994 rating decision, reopening the claim.

The veteran's claim for special monthly pension benefits based on the need for regular aid and attendance or at the housebound rate is being remanded due to incomplete information in his claims file, including a missing page of an examination report. The RO must request that he submit this missing page and obtain all pertinent treatment records.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for malaria, hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, macular degeneration of both eyes, and prostate disorder. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a cognitive disorder and hypertension, finding no evidence of these conditions during his active service or within one year after discharge. The claim for secondary service connection for a cognitive disorder due to hypertension with cerebrovascular accident residuals is also denied.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and assigned a 50 percent evaluation for PTSD, finding that the veteran's symptoms meet the criteria for reduced reliability and productivity due to PTSD.

The Board has determined that service connection is not warranted for hypertension and heart disorder. The veteran's claim for diabetes mellitus was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to service.

The Board found that the veteran's hypertensive cardiovascular disease with hypertension is currently evaluated as 30 percent disabling and does not meet the criteria for an evaluation in excess of this rating.

The veteran's secondary service connection claim for injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident is denied. The effective date for the increased rating of hypertension remains November 19, 1997 due to lack of evidence showing an increase within one year prior to the claim. The heart disability is rated at 30 percent and the veteran's appeal for higher ratings is denied.

The veteran's hypertension, which was first diagnosed within the first year after separation from service and under presumptive service connection criteria, is granted. For his irritable bowel syndrome, a noncompensable rating is maintained as it does not meet the criteria for any higher evaluation.

The Board denied reopening the claim of service connection for hypertension due to lack of new and material evidence. The rating for the fungal infection remains undecided as no decision was made.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for hypertension with cardiac disease and a mental disorder, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board found that the cause of the veteran's death (cor pulmonale with bronchial asthma and hypertension) was not related to his military service, thus denying the claim for service connection for cause of death.

The Board has remanded the claims for entitlement to service connection and increased ratings due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development and consideration of his claims, including the need for special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance or housebound status, as well as service connection for hypertension and lacunar infarct with left hemiparesis secondary to service-connected disability.