Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2007

The Board has ordered the case back to the RO for additional development, including obtaining medical records and ensuring proper notification of VA's duty to assist. The veteran's claims for service connection are remanded.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension did not manifest during service or within one year of discharge, and there is no evidence linking it to his service-connected diabetes mellitus. Therefore, service connection for hypertension is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, cerebrovascular accident, vision loss of the right eye, and hypertension. The evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and the veteran's active service.

The Board found that the veteran's hypertension, coronary artery disease, and peripheral vascular disease were not incurred or aggravated during service and are not related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus. As a result, these claims for service connection have been denied.

The veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for verification of stressors related to PTSD and additional development of private treatment records.

The Board has determined that service connection is not warranted for hypertension, right shoulder disability, or heart disease.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to uncertainty regarding the veteran's asbestos exposure and its relation to his current lung disorder, coronary artery disease, and hypertension.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for hypertension, an initial disability rating higher than 40 percent for hematuria, and a compensable disability rating for residuals of a right eye injury. The Board found that there was no evidence to support these claims.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and verifying in-service stressors. The veteran is also to be examined by a VA psychiatrist to determine if PTSD was incurred during service and whether any current psychiatric disability had its onset during service or is otherwise related to service. A VA examination is also needed to determine if porphyria cutanea tarda and peripheral neuropathy are related to service.

The Board has determined that the causes of the veteran's death (coronary artery disease, anemia, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus) are not service-connected.

The Board found that the veteran's hypertension and arthritis are not related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, and he does not currently have urinary tract infection or edema. Therefore, the claims for service connection for these conditions as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus were denied.

The Board has determined that an earlier effective date of June 28, 2001 is warranted for the award of NSC pension due to the existence of disabling conditions at that time.

The veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and examinations.

The Board found that the veteran's diabetes mellitus does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation than 40 percent, and his hypertension with proteinuria is evaluated at 30 percent under renal involvement in diabetes mellitus.

The veteran's claims for increased disability rating and total disability rating based on individual unemployability are being remanded due to the inadequacy of a previous VA examination.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and issuing a supplemental statement of the case (SOC) for certain issues.

The veteran's service-connected hypertension is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board has found that this rating is appropriate based on his diastolic blood pressure readings being predominantly below 110.

The Board found that there is no evidence linking the veteran's current knee disabilities and hypertension to his service, and thus denied these claims.

The Board denied service connection for high cholesterol and essential hypertension, finding that the veteran's conditions were well-controlled with medication. The combined disability rating of 70% calculated by the RO in April 2002 was upheld.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current disabilities resulting from his military service for numbness of the fingers, sleep apnea, hypertension, high cholesterol, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), or arthritis of the shoulder.