Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2007

The Board found that the veteran's hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service and is not proximately due to or the result of any service-connected disability, including his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The veteran is seeking compensation benefits under the provisions of 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for residuals of a cerebrovascular accident (CVA) with aphasia and right hemiparesis and hypertension, as a result of VA medical treatment. The Board has determined that further examination and development are needed to determine if the proximate cause of these residuals was VA fault from the September and October 1998 surgeries.

The appellant has withdrawn his appeal for a compensable rating for hypertension, and the Board has dismissed the case as there are no remaining issues to be decided.

The Board found that the veteran's hypertension did not have its onset in service or is otherwise related to his military service. The right ankle disorder was also denied as it was determined to be due to his service-connected valvular heart disease.

The veteran's PTSD is rated at 100 percent effective May 22, 2002. The claim for service connection of hypertension as secondary to PTSD has been reopened.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) due to new evidence submitted since the 1997 decision. The hypertension claim remains denied as no new and material evidence was presented.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected PTSD may have contributed to his development of coronary artery disease and hypertension, but could not determine if this was due to a direct cause or aggravation. The decision is mixed as it grants part of the claim for secondary service connection.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain missing records and verify the veteran's claimed stressors. The claims for service connection will be reconsidered based on the new information.

The Board is requesting additional medical opinion to determine if the veteran's hypertension, which he was treated for since at least March 1991, could be related to his military service and whether it contributed to his fatal basilar artery thrombosis.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, hypertension, and residuals of a cerebrovascular accident. The evidence does not support these claims as there is no medical diagnosis linking any of these conditions to his active duty service.

The veteran's claims for service connection were denied across the board due to lack of evidence showing a nexus between his claimed conditions and active duty service.

The veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection were denied as there was no evidence of a claim prior to the date of receipt of his formal or informal claims.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records. The veteran's claim remains denied at this stage.

The Board denied service connection for headaches, low back disability, seborrheic dermatitis of the chest, and hypertension as these conditions were not shown to be related to service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including integrating a temporary claims file and resolving representation issues. The veteran's cardiac disorder claim remains on appeal.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, sinusitis, atypical chest pain, and foot cramping. The decision found that while hypertension was incurred during service, the other conditions did not meet the criteria for service connection.

The veteran's PTSD and psychiatric disorder were not incurred in or related to his military service.,Hypertension was not incurred in or related to the veteran's military service, but may be secondary to diabetes mellitus. The Board denied this claim as there is no evidence of encephalitis.,Heel spurs are not shown to have been caused by the veteran's military service and were not found to be related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.,Encephalitis was not diagnosed in service or at any point after service, and thus cannot be granted as a service connection claim.,Sleep apnea was not diagnosed during service or at any point after service.

The veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and a neurologic disorder were denied as there was no evidence of in-service disease or injury, and the Board found that neither condition is related to exposure to herbicides or radiation.

The veteran's appeal of the claim for an increased rating for reactive airway disease has been withdrawn. The remaining issues on appeal will be remanded for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus.,Service connection is denied for the remaining conditions.