Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2007

The Board has determined that the submitted evidence is not new and material to reopen the claim of service connection for hypertension, thus denying the veteran's request.

The veteran seeks service connection for diabetes mellitus and hypertension. The case is being remanded to obtain additional medical evidence and determine the nature and etiology of his current conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for heart disease, hypertension, and a skin condition. The veteran's heart disease is found to be causally related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to properly adjudicate the veteran's claims for service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, hypertension, and anemia.

The veteran's service-connected hypertension is rated at 10 percent, and the claim for an increased rating is granted. The claims for chronic sinusitis and osteoarthritis of the left hip are remanded for further evaluation.

The Board found that the veteran's disabilities, while disabling, do not meet the criteria for a permanent and total disability rating for pension purposes due to his unemployability caused by substance abuse.

The Board found that the veteran does not have a current diagnosis of an acquired psychiatric disorder and concluded that his hypertension, glaucoma, conditions leading to two strokes, and any potential acquired psychiatric disorder are not related to service. As such, these claims were denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, hypertension, headaches, bilateral hearing loss, skin rash (claimed as affecting the hands and neck), rheumatoid arthritis (claimed as arthritis of the hands), and tinnitus due to lack of verified in-service stressors for PTSD, absence of medical evidence linking these conditions to service, and passage of time since discharge.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for hypertension with cardiomegaly and diabetes mellitus, type 2. The claim for residuals of a stroke was not incurred in or aggravated by active service. The veteran's hemorrhoids remain at noncompensable evaluation.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and seborrheic dermatitis of the facial area due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or any presumptive exposure. The effective date for service connection was not granted as it occurred after one year from discharge.

The Board has decided that the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and tinnitus need further review due to incomplete medical records. The case is being remanded to allow for additional examination and evidence collection.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary to make reasonable efforts to obtain relevant private records, including treatment for hypertension.

The Board found that the veteran's hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, may not be presumed related to service, and is not related to a service-connected disorder. Therefore, the claim for service connection for hypertension was denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection for various conditions, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher ratings or service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and hypertension, as well as his claim for an increased rating for diabetes mellitus. The VA audiologist opined that the veteran's tinnitus was not related to noise exposure during service, while the private physician in 1995 associated it with sensorineural hearing loss. For hypertension, there is no evidence of its onset within one year post-service and the Board found no direct link to service or diabetes mellitus. The VA examiner concluded that the veteran's diabetes mellitus was not aggravated by his service-connected condition.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and finds that new evidence supports this reopening. The case is remanded to determine if there is a causal relationship between the veteran's hypertension and his diabetes mellitus.

The veteran is found incompetent for VA purposes and therefore does not qualify for benefits related to handling disbursement of funds.

The Board has remanded the case due to uncertainty about the veteran's exposure to chemicals in service, specifically Trichloroethylene, Technetium, and Dioxin. The claim will be reconsidered based on this new information.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development and consideration of his claims, including obtaining additional medical records and providing proper VCAA notice.

The veteran's claims for service connection have been denied, and his claim for a higher rating for thoracic and lumbar spine degenerative disc disease has been granted. The RO is instructed to schedule the veteran for a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the RO.