Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2006

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to issues related to reopening a claim of service connection for hypertension and rating adjustments for knee disorders.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus and denied his claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for thyroid surgeries conducted at a VA medical facility in February and May 2003.

The veteran's claim for special monthly pension based on need of regular aid and attendance or housebound status is denied as he does not meet the criteria for such benefits.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the veteran's anxiety disorder and its relationship to his heart disease, hypertension, and death. The appellant is asked to provide medical records from various providers.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for hypertension and service connection for lumbar disc disease, gastric ulcers, migraine headaches, and bipolar disorder. The veteran's hypertension is currently rated as 0 percent disabling due to poor control of blood pressure despite medication use. His back condition was not incurred in or aggravated by active service. No current diagnoses of gastric ulcers or bipolar disorder were found. Service connection for these conditions could not be established.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is necessary to determine the current severity of the veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus and whether it requires regulation of activities. The case will be remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to missing service medical records and incomplete information from the veteran.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, a kidney disability, and gout, finding that these conditions were not incurred or aggravated by his military service.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for hypertension and heart disorder to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the relationship between his current conditions and service.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, finding that it is presumed to have been incurred in service due to its manifestation within one year of separation from active duty.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there is no medical evidence suggesting that the condition was present during his military service or within one year of discharge. The examiner concluded it could not be determined without speculation whether hypertension had its onset during service.

The Board denied all service connection claims for the veteran's claimed disabilities, finding that they were not related to his military service or a service-connected disorder.

The Board found that diabetes mellitus and hypertension were not incurred in service, but denied the claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for central retinal occlusion of the left eye with vision loss due to VA surgery.

The Board has granted increased evaluations for the veteran's service-connected hypertension and lumbosacral strain, with a maximum of 40 percent each. The claim for bilateral numbness is denied as not due to service or service-connected conditions.

The veteran's claim for service connection was denied as he did not have the required wartime service to qualify for VA pension benefits. The claims for bilateral shoulder disorder, diabetes mellitus with complications of hypertension and a heart condition, and an innocently acquired psychiatric disorder are remanded for further development.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, finding no evidence to support a direct link between his military service and the claimed disabilities.

The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against finding that hypertension had its onset in service or is related to any incident of service.,The Board also finds that the presumptions found at 38 C.F.R. �� 3.307, 3.309 do not apply.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and increased initial ratings for his right carpal tunnel syndrome and hypertension, finding no current diagnosis of left carpal tunnel syndrome and that the symptoms did not meet criteria for an increased rating.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, asbestos exposure, and radiation exposure. The veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service or any in-service exposures.

The Board found that the veteran's hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, it may not be presumed to have been incurred in or aggravated by active service, and is not proximately due to, the result of, or aggravated by, his service-connected type II diabetes mellitus.