Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2005

The veteran's service-connected anxiety with depression is rated at 50 percent, and the Board has granted a TDIU based on his severe disability from this condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, epicondylitis of the right elbow, dysthymic disorder with insomnia, and varicose veins. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to active duty service.

The veteran's hypertension has been rated at 10 percent since August 9, 2001. The claim for a higher rating is denied as the evidence does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death and diabetes mellitus due to exposure to herbicide agents (for accrued purposes only). The decision found that arteriosclerotic heart disease was not incurred in or aggravated by service, may not be presumed to have been so incurred, and was not proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disease or injury. Diabetes mellitus was not listed as a contributing factor in the veteran's death.

The veteran's PTSD is currently rated as 30 percent disabling. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating. Service connection for hypertension and coronary artery disease, which are unrelated to his service-connected PTSD, is also denied.

The Board found that the veteran did not have hypertension during service or within one year after service, and there is no competent evidence linking it to service. Therefore, service connection for hypertension was denied.

The Board determined that the veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected condition, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of his death.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional notification and assistance, including obtaining medical records and examinations.

The veteran's service-connected hypertension was not shown to meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation, and thus an initial compensable rating is denied.

The Board finds that the veteran's service-connected disabilities met the criteria for TDIU as of June 8, 1998, and assigns an effective date of June 8, 1998.

The Board denied the claims of service connection for hypertension and memory loss, finding that there was no direct causal relationship between these conditions and the service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has determined that the appellant's claims for service connection for hypertension, varicose veins, and prostate cancer are not well grounded. The Board found no evidence of a relationship between these conditions and the appellant's military service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a VA medical examination to determine the nature and likely etiology of the veteran's claimed hypertension and stroke residuals.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development of the evidence, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, dental condition, and right eye disability. The veteran's preexisting conditions were not considered to have been aggravated by active service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for additional development, including informing him of the information and evidence needed to substantiate his claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for hypertension and coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence does not warrant a higher rating based on the criteria in the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities.

The Board has determined that the veteran's death was not caused by or substantially contributed to by a disability incurred in service, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.

The Board has determined that the veteran's death was not caused by, or substantially or materially contributed to by, a disability incurred in or aggravated by his active duty service. The conditions listed on the veteran's death certificate as causing his death were not manifested during his period of active duty service or for many years thereafter.