Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2005

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected hypertension, cervical strain with degenerative disc disease, and residuals of low back injury. The RO assigned a 10 percent rating for hypertension effective from July 22, 1999.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hyperparathyroidism, hypertension, and peripheral neuropathy as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development and requests further examination for hypertension and left knee disorder.

The Board found no evidence of a low back injury or hypertension during service, and concluded that any current conditions are not related to service. The veteran's current low back degenerative joint disease is attributed to non-service-related trauma.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for pes planus, bilateral hammertoe deformities with bunions and blisters, circulatory problems of the lower extremities, and hypertension. The evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a stomach disorder, kidney disorder, and hypertension as there is no competent medical evidence showing these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, asserting that it is not related to his service-connected Type II diabetes mellitus. The claims for increased rating for diabetes mellitus and compensable rating for erectile dysfunction associated with diabetes mellitus are pending.

The veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for service-connected Type II diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, hypertension, peripheral neuropathy of the lower and upper extremities, and retinopathy have been denied. The RO increased the rating for Type II diabetes mellitus to 40 percent effective May 8, 2001.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension is proximately due to and aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, thus granting service connection for hypertension as secondary to diabetes.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic low back disorder or hypertension during active service. The veteran's current conditions were not incurred in service and denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development of evidence, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the relationship between the veteran's service-connected conditions and his current health issues.

The veteran's claims for service connection and increased evaluations are being remanded due to the need to obtain additional records from Social Security Administration.

The veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected disability, and there is no evidence of a pending claim for VA benefits at the time of his death. Therefore, the appellant cannot be granted accrued benefits.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension is not related to his service-connected PTSD and therefore denied the claim for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding no evidence of a chronic heart condition or hypertension in service. The current diagnoses were not linked to service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and secondary disabilities, finding that his diabetes was not related to herbicide exposure but rather due to prednisone treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. The secondary disability claims were also denied as there is no medical evidence linking these conditions to the primary condition of diabetes.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling examinations to assess his current disability levels. The TDIU claim will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling hearings and examinations.

The veteran's migraine headaches, hypertension with mild hypertensive cardiovascular disease, and residuals of subcortical strokes are currently rated at the maximum schedular ratings. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted on an extra-schedular basis for any of these conditions.

The Board finds that the cause of the veteran's death, intracranial hemorrhage, was not caused by or related to his military service. The Board also found no evidence of hypertension during service or within the presumptive period following discharge.