Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2004

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of his death and also denied non-service-connected pension benefits. The Board found that cardiovascular disease, which caused the veteran's death, was not related to his military service.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by or substantially contributed to by a disability incurred in service, and denied both claims for service connection for the cause of death and nonservice-connected death pension.

VA denied the veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for arterial hypertension, migraine headache with post-traumatic exacerbation, PTSD, peptic ulcer disease and hepatitis C, right shoulder pain, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, facial and scalp rash, and sinusitis and rhinitis.,VA denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder pain, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, facial and scalp rash, and sinusitis and rhinitis. However, VA granted service connection for PTSD and assigned a 10 percent evaluation effective August 1, 2000.,VA denied the veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for peptic ulcer disease and hepatitis C.

The veteran is seeking service connection for hypertension, coronary artery disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) that are secondary to his service-connected post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Board has determined that additional development is needed before a final decision can be made.

The Board found that the cause of death, pancreatitis and/or high blood pressure, was not related to service. The veteran did not have a service-connected disability at the time of his death.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for arterial hypertension, status post cerebrovascular accident (right hemiplegia), and status post cerebrovascular accident (multi-infarct dementia) as there was no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development and notification under the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000. The veteran's claims for hypertension service connection and higher evaluation for depressive disorder are pending.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and increased evaluations, finding no evidence linking his disabilities to service or meeting the criteria for higher ratings. The claims of reopening for hypertension and sinusitis were also denied due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board determined that the veteran's hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by service, nor may it be presumed to have been incurred in service. The Board also found that PTSD did not cause or aggravate his hypertension. Additionally, the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities were not met.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for his hypertension, as it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the old Diagnostic Code 7101.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, found to have been incurred during active duty. The veteran's hypertension and hemorrhoids are also considered, with the hypertension receiving a compensable evaluation.

The Board has determined that a more contemporaneous examination is needed to ascertain whether the need for specially adapted housing cited by Dr. Roberts is attributable to specific service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current diagnosis of hypertension and denied his claims for service connection for both hypertension and skin disorder. The issue of an initial disability rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD remains denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a scar of the head, hypertension, and triple bypass residuals. The denial was based on new and material evidence not being received to reopen the claim for a scar of the head.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension is aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, warranting a grant of service connection for this condition. The claim for arthritis remains pending as there was insufficient evidence to determine its relationship to either herbicide exposure or service-connected diabetes.

The Board denied service connection for arteriosclerotic heart disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, choledochocystolithiasis, arthritis, a kidney disorder, and poor vision for accrued benefits purposes.,The claim for service connection for pulmonary tuberculosis was previously denied in 1967 but reopened with new evidence showing the condition was incurred within three years of service.

The veteran's hypertension and hypertensive cardiovascular disease were incurred during active service. The Board finds that the weight loss issue is not related to service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including referral of the veteran's claims folder to a medical specialist and production of an opinion consistent with VCAA. The issue is whether service-connected PTSD contributed substantially and materially to cause the veteran's death.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of service connection for hypertension due to new evidence showing a continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete evidence and the need for a VA examination. The veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension is on appeal, along with claims for bilateral hearing loss disability and bilateral tinnitus.