Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2005

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension is not due to disease or injury incurred in service, and it does not result from a service-connected disability. Therefore, the claim for service connection for hypertension is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability or sufficient medical findings to support the requested benefits.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension was not incurred or aggravated during service and is not related to any in-service event. The claim for service connection for hypertension is denied.

The Board found no evidence of hypertension during service and denied the claim for service connection as there was insufficient medical evidence to support a finding that the veteran's current hypertension is related to his military service or his service-connected atypical psychosis.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD is incurred in active service and grants service connection for PTSD. The hypertension claim remains denied as it was not established to be related to service.

The veteran's hypertension is currently rated as 20 percent disabling, but does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The veteran's chronic sinusitis is currently rated as non-compensably disabling, but meets the criteria for a 10 percent rating based on four episodes per year of headaches and pain.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service connection for diabetes mellitus is granted based on his service in Vietnam and the presumption of exposure to herbicides. The secondary service connections for blindness, hypertension, and peripheral neuropathy are also granted as they are related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The veteran's medical condition, due to multiple service-connected disabilities, resulted in him being unable to walk without assistance and requiring a wheelchair. The Board finds that his loss of use of both feet meets the criteria for SMC based on accrued benefits purposes.

The Board has determined that the veteran's peripheral neuropathy and hypertension are related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death and denied entitlement to Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits under Chapter 35, due to lack of medical evidence linking any disability to service or service-connected conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss, hypertension, and an increased evaluation for non-insulin diabetes. The evidence did not support a finding of in-service or post-service onset of these conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, residuals of a left knee injury, and hypertension due to lack of credible supporting evidence for the claimed stressors and failure to establish a nexus between current disabilities and military service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and a heart condition, finding that there is no evidence of an increase in disability prior to March 25, 2003. The effective date for his increased rating for post-traumatic stress disorder was set at March 25, 2003.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension with hypertensive heart disease, finding no evidence of a nexus to military service or diabetes mellitus.,Service connection was also denied for residuals of a herniated disc of the lumbar spine due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, low back disorder, and bilateral hearing loss. The veteran's claims were not supported by the evidence of record.

The Board has decided that the case needs further development and a medical opinion to determine if the veteran's current hypertension is related to his military service.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected hypertension does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation, as his blood pressure readings were consistently below the threshold required for an increased rating. For degenerative arthritis of the right great toe, the evidence showed x-ray findings consistent with moderate disability but no use of medication or other treatment. The Board determined that these conditions did not warrant a higher initial evaluation.

The Board found that the veteran's hypertension and coronary artery disease are not proximately due to or the result of his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board denied service connection for low back disorder, right knee disorder, hypertension, tuberculosis, and psychiatric disorder. The veteran's claims were not supported by competent evidence of a nexus between the current disabilities and his military service.

The veteran is granted increased initial ratings for gout, hypertensive CVD, HTN, and low back disability.,For gout, the rating is set at 20 percent from August 1, 1997 to December 1, 2001.