Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2007

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and assigned a 10 percent rating effective August 10, 2003. The veteran's hypertension requires continuous medication for control with blood pressure readings at times being close to diastolic pressure of 100 or systolic pressure of 160.

The veteran's claims for PTSD and a dental condition were denied, while his claim for hypertension was granted. The decision is mixed as it addresses multiple conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to incomplete service medical records and other missing evidence.

The Board has determined that additional development is required before the claims can be adjudicated, including providing proper notice under Hupp v. Nicholson.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to inextricably intertwined issues, including verification of active duty periods and medical records related to diabetes mellitus.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current diagnoses of hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension, or a back disability. The claims for service connection are therefore denied.

The Board has ordered the case remanded for an examination to determine if the veteran's service-connected PTSD could have aggravated his cardiovascular disorder, irrespective of whether the PTSD was the direct cause of the condition.

The veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain and hypertension were found to not warrant higher disability evaluations.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional medical examinations and opinions regarding the veteran's service-connected sinusitis and its impact on his other claimed disabilities.

The Board found that the cause of death, medullary failure due to respiratory arrest due to acute bronchial asthma, was not related to service-connected conditions or herbicide exposure. The COPD was considered a contributory cause but not the principal cause of death.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities, which include right below the knee amputation associated with hypertension with atrial fibrillation and degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to missing service medical records and a need for further development, including obtaining VA medical records and scheduling the veteran for an examination.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence sufficient to reopen the claim of service connection for hypertension has been submitted. The veteran is scheduled for a VA examination to determine whether he has hypertension, and if so, its likely etiology.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his hypertensive heart disease with hypertension and diabetes mellitus with peripheral vascular disease and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are being remanded due to the need for additional evidence, including medical records from the Philadelphia VAMC.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the arms, and right ankle disorder as they are not shown to be related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed conditions, including coronary artery disease, hypertension, chronic renal insufficiency, and peripheral neuropathy, are not related to his military service or service-connected diabetes mellitus. As such, these claims for secondary service connection have been denied.

The veteran's hypertension and gastrointestinal disability have been rated, but the claims for increased ratings are denied as there is no evidence of severe symptoms or continuous moderate manifestations.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension, which was incurred in service and contributed to his death from cardiac arrest, meets the criteria for service connection. The benefit of doubt is applied, granting service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), hypertension, and degenerative joint disease of the right shoulder. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, right inguinal hernia residuals, and atrophy of the right testicle.