Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2006

The veteran's cause of death was attributed to Parkinson's disease, with hypertension and coronary artery disease as contributing conditions. The Board has ordered a remand for obtaining medical opinions regarding whether the service-connected peripheral vascular disease contributed to his death.

The Board has remanded the case due to the veteran's failure to appear for a scheduled videoconference hearing and requests that it be rescheduled at the St. Louis RO.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher ratings for his left knee disability and service connection for hypertension and a heart condition, finding that there was no evidence of ankylosis or nonunion/malunion of the tibia/fibula. The Board also found that the veteran's current disabilities did not meet the criteria for a 10 percent evaluation under DC 5010 without consideration of painful motion.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and the need for a medical opinion regarding the relationship between the veteran's service and his current hypertension.

The veteran's appeal is currently on hold due to a stay imposed by the Secretary of VA. The issues related to service connection for diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, bilateral neuropathy of the feet, bilateral vision problems, loss of a right foot toe, and bilateral ulcers of the feet are subject to this stay. Hypertension remains an issue that will be addressed once the stay is lifted.

The VA determined that the veteran's diabetes did not improve and thus denied reducing his disability rating from 60 percent to 40 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral paresthesia, arthritis, hypertension, and a respiratory disorder due to exposure to Agent Orange. The evidence did not support these claims as there was no current diagnosis of any condition related to service or Agent Orange exposure.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for asbestosis, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, Type II, lupus erythematosus, and hypertension. The evidence does not establish that any of these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for hypertension and an initial (compensable) rating for bilateral hearing loss is not warranted.

The Board has determined that the preponderance of the evidence is against the veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, fatigue, hypertension, peripheral neuropathy of both lower extremities, a joint disability, and nerve damage. The veteran does not have current diagnoses or competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The veteran's appeals for higher initial evaluations for migraine headaches, gastroesophageal reflux disease with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and hypertension have been dismissed as the veteran has withdrawn her appeal.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to a failure to schedule his requested travel Board hearing. His hypertension and right ring finger limitation of motion claims are still pending.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and coronary artery disease, finding that these conditions were not incurred or aggravated by his military service.

The Board finds that the veteran's hypertension and gout were not incurred in or aggravated by his active duty service, nor may they be presumed to have been incurred in or aggravated by such service. The claims are therefore denied.

The Board has ordered additional development to determine the relationship between the appellant's claimed conditions and his periods of active duty for training.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD did not contribute substantially or materially to his death, and therefore denied service connection for the cause of his death.

The Board found that the veteran's hypertension was not directly related to his period of active duty and concluded that it is not service-connected. The examiner opined that the hypertension is not secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has determined that the veteran's heart disease has undergone a chronic increase in severity as a result of his service-connected diabetes, and thus grants service connection for aggravation of heart disease.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain all relevant medical records and ensure compliance with the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000 (VCAA). The veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded.

The veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized private medical expenses incurred from April 1, 2004 to April 6, 2004 was denied as he did not meet the statutory requirements for payment under VA regulations.