Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2006

The Board denied the veteran's claim for a higher rating for hypertension as there was no evidence showing diastolic pressures predominantly 100 or more, or systolic pressures predominantly 160 or more. The veteran did not attend a VA examination without good cause shown.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, skin cancer (including Bowen's disease of the penis and probable squamous cell carcinoma of the left hand), and lupus with disorders of the chest, back, legs, and feet due to exposure to Agent Orange. The claims for increased rating for diabetes mellitus, service connection for hypertension, and service connection for an eye disorder are denied.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, which is one of the bases for establishing entitlement to DIC. Therefore, the DIC claim must be considered on the basis of a service-connected cause of death.

The veteran's service-connected disorders have aggravated his hypertension, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition to the degree that it is aggravated by service-connected disorders.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support the veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, hearing loss, tinnitus, and residuals of dental surgery involving the left mandible. The preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to military service.

The veteran's claim for PTSD was denied due to the lack of credible evidence supporting his claimed stressors.,Service connection for renal involvement with microalbuminuria and hypertension as secondary to service-connected Type 2 diabetes is not warranted because there is no competent evidence dated earlier than October 1, 2004, which would tend to link these conditions to the service-connected diabetes.,The veteran's claim for special monthly compensation under the provisions of 38 U.S.C.A. § 1114(s) and 38 C.F.R. § 3.350(i)(1) is not warranted as there is no evidence showing he had a service-connected disability rated as total and additional service-connected disabilities independently ratable at 60 percent or more prior to October 1, 2004.,The veteran's claim for an evaluation of 100 percent for coronary artery disease, status post coronary artery bypass graft surgery, is not warranted due to the absence of medical records showing a workload of 3 METs resulting in weakness and fatigue on or before October 1, 2004.

The veteran is seeking service connection for cardiovascular disease, including hypertension. The Board has ordered a remand due to the need for additional development and notification.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and an increased evaluation for his left thoracic sympathectomy scar, finding that there was no evidence of a relationship between these conditions and service. The Board also found that the current evaluations were appropriate given the lack of functional impairment attributable to the scars.

The veteran's claims for various conditions, including a right ankle disability, skin disorder, bilateral foot disorder, neck disability, bilateral hip pain, PTSD, tinnitus, and hypertension were all denied by the VA. The appeals are not about service connection at all.

The Board has determined that the diabetes mellitus claim is inextricably intertwined with the issues on appeal and must be remanded to await adjudication. The veteran's service connection claims for various disabilities are being remanded due to procedural errors and incomplete development.

The Board found no evidence that the veteran's death was caused or contributed to by any service-connected disability, and there is no indication of exposure to Agent Orange. The cause of death was determined to be metastatic anaplastic carcinoma.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected arterial hypertension and consideration of new evidence. The issues are whether he should receive an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for arterial hypertension and if he should receive a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the eligibility requirements for vocational rehabilitation benefits under Chapter 31 of Title 38, United States Code.

The veteran's hypertension has not been manifested by readings of diastolic blood pressure predominantly 110 or more, or systolic blood pressure predominantly 200 or more since the March 17, 2004 effective date. Therefore, an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for hypertension is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, which is one of the bases for establishing entitlement to dependency and indemnity compensation benefits. The claim of entitlement to educational assistance under 38 U.S.C.A. Chapter 35 will be considered on this basis.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral vascular disease and hypertension, finding no evidence of these conditions during or within one year after his military service. The Board also found that any current diagnoses are not associated with his active military duty or his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board denied DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 due to VA medical treatment, finding that the veteran's death was not caused by improper care.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral eye disorder, hypertension, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The right knee chondromalacia with internal derangement was granted a 20% disability rating, while left knee tendonitis received a 10% disability rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's death was caused by cardiovascular collapse due to atherosclerotic heart disease, which is linked to his service-connected hypertension. The appeal is granted.

The veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by his representative prior to the Board making a decision.