Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2007

The veteran's claims for service connection of seizures, high blood pressure (hypertension), and depression have been denied. The RO has assigned a 20 percent evaluation for the right thumb disorder since May 1983 under Diagnostic Code 5224.

The veteran's claim for additional vocational rehabilitation training under Chapter 31, Title 38, United States Code is granted due to her service-connected disabilities and the need for further education in a suitable field.

The veteran's conditions do not meet the criteria for special monthly pension based on need for regular aid and attendance or by reason of being housebound.

The Board has dismissed the appellant's appeals regarding service connection for chronic back pain, alopecia areata, and hypertension due to his withdrawal of these issues prior to a decision.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a medical opinion regarding whether the veteran's hypertension is aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension with erectile dysfunction does not warrant a compensable disability rating.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for hypertension and asthma were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable VA rating schedule.

The Board found that the veteran's hypertension did not start during service or within one year of discharge, and was not caused by any incident of service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the veteran's hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by his active duty military service, is not proximately due to or the result of his service-connected wrist disabilities, and cannot be presumed to have been incurred in or aggravated by such service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected schizophrenia aggravated his hypertension, which in turn contributed to his atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and ultimately caused his death. As such, the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death is granted.

The veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is not service-connected.,His sinusitis has been rated as 30 percent disabling, and the evidence does not meet criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has reopened the previously denied claims for service connection for hypertension, a right knee disorder, residuals of injury to the coccyx, and a cervical spine disorder. The veteran's claim for anxiety and depression as secondary to VA's adjudicative process is denied as a matter of law.,VA will grant an effective date earlier than August 29, 1995 for the award of additional compensation based on dependents if the evidence shows that the veteran had his marriage and birth of children prior to October 1, 1978.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection of hypertension as secondary to diabetes mellitus. The claims for PTSD and an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include depression, insomnia, and anxiety) are pending.

The veteran's diabetes mellitus with hypertension and diabetic nephropathy is currently rated at 20 percent, which remains unchanged. The effective date for service connection of these conditions has not been changed.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, venous insufficiency, and varicose veins. The evidence did not establish a nexus between these conditions and active service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension did not begin during service or within one year of separation, and there is no evidence linking it to a service-connected condition. The claim for secondary service connection was also denied as there is no medical opinion suggesting a link between the service-connected conditions and the development of hypertension.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including back injuries, leg and ankle injuries, knee injuries, hypertension, multiple joint pain, stomach disorders, and diabetes mellitus. The evidence submitted since the March 2003 decision is not new and material.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral foot disability and is now proceeding to evaluate the merits of his claims. The veteran also seeks service connection for cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and peripheral vascular disease, but additional evidence related to these conditions needs to be obtained.

The veteran's service-connected hypertension with hypertensive cardiovascular heart disease and atrial fibrillation is being remanded for further evaluation due to conflicting medical findings. The case will be reviewed again after the examination results are available.