Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2006

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding no evidence of its occurrence or etiology during service and rejecting his lay assertions.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for service connection of a bilateral shoulder condition. The claims for service connection of type II diabetes mellitus, glaucoma, and hypertension have been denied as these conditions are not related to military service.

The veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of medical expenses incurred at non-VA facilities between December 14, 2001 and December 17, 2001 was denied as the services were not rendered for a service-connected disability.

The Board found no competent evidence linking the veteran's diagnosed conditions to his chemical exposure during service. The case is being remanded for further development of records from the VA medical center in Dallas, Texas.

The veteran's PTSD is found to be incurred in service due to a personal assault. The heart disability and hypertension are linked to the veteran's PTSD, meeting the criteria for secondary service connection.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been denied. The skin condition is not rated higher than the current 30 percent, headaches are not due to an undiagnosed illness or service, pingueculae (left eye) has no causal link to service, fibromyalgia syndrome does not meet criteria for service connection, hair loss and cataracts do not have a direct link to service, and hypertension is being remanded.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to timing issues in providing VCAA notice and additional medical opinions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current diagnoses of hepatitis, hypertension, and psoriasis are not related to his military service. The claims for service connection have been denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic condition during or within one year after service and no medical opinion linking his current hypertension to his diabetes mellitus.

The veteran is seeking an earlier effective date for a separate compensable rating for hypertension. The Board denied this claim, finding that the criteria for an effective date prior to July 24, 2002, have not been met.

The veteran's appeal for service connection for hypertension has been dismissed due to his death.

The Board finds that hypertension was incurred in service, resolving all doubt in favor of the veteran.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and examination of the veteran's service connection claims.

The veteran's appeal for a specific evaluation of hypertension has been dismissed due to the appellant's withdrawal.

The veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus, including the issue of a higher rating prior to November 29, 2002, is denied.,Service connection for hypertension as secondary to diabetes mellitus and service connection for a kidney condition as secondary to diabetes mellitus are both denied.,Service connection for an eye disability and a back disability are both denied.,The veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus, including the issue of a higher rating prior to November 29, 2002, is denied.,Service connection for hypertension as secondary to diabetes mellitus and service connection for a kidney condition as secondary to diabetes mellitus are both denied.

The veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations and clarification of evidence.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension does not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher evaluation, and thus denied his claim.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for hypertension but is unable to determine if the veteran's diabetes mellitus caused or aggravated his hypertension. The appeal will be remanded for further development.

The veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings for his knee disabilities were denied as there was no evidence of a nexus between the conditions and service, or that they are due to an already service-connected condition.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of a broken right foot and granted service connection for hypertension. Service connection for the residuals of tendon laceration of the left hand was not granted.