Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2007

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension was not incurred in service or during the initial post-service year, and there is no competent medical evidence linking it to his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The claim for service connection for hypertension is therefore denied.

The Board found that hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by the first period of active duty, and service connection for hypertension may not be presumed to have been incurred in or aggravated by such service. Elevated blood pressure readings pre-existed the second period of active duty and were not aggravated by that service. The veteran's hypertension is otherwise unrelated to a disease, injury, or event of active service origin.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension was not incurred during or aggravated by active duty, but his residuals of renal cell carcinoma are service-connected.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for diabetes mellitus, degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, and hypertension. The evidence did not show that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by active service.

The veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than July 14, 2004 for a 100 percent rating for arteriosclerotic heart disease and a separate 10 percent rating for hypertension was denied as there is no evidence of an increase in disability within the year prior to July 14, 2004.

The Board found that hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and denied the claim. The issue of entitlement to service connection for schizophrenia remains pending.

The veteran's claims for service connection on the merits are being remanded due to new and material evidence grounds. The RO must ensure all notification and development actions required by VCAA are fully satisfied, including providing notice consistent with Dingess/Hartman v. Nicholson.

The veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, PTSD, and diabetes mellitus were denied. The ratings for PTSD prior to July 24, 2002, and for diabetes mellitus from March 1, 2004 onwards, were also not granted.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for bipolar disorder, low back pain with radiation to left hip and leg, and hypertension were denied. The effective dates for the awards of 50 percent evaluations for bipolar disorder and service connection for hypertension were granted as of September 21, 1993. The claim for TDIU was also denied.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, hypertension (secondary to diabetes mellitus), right foot injury, right ankle injury, right hip injury, bilateral hearing loss, and bilateral vision loss.

The veteran's claims for service connection have been granted for hypertension, depression, and arthritis of the left shoulder. Other claims remain pending.

The veteran is seeking to reopen his claim of service connection for hypertension. The RO found that he did not submit new and material evidence, as the additional medical evidence only referred to post-service diagnosis of hypertension.

The veteran died in August 1999. The Board determined that the May 1992 rating decision denying service connection for hypertension was clearly and unmistakably erroneous, and granted service connection for hypertension, arteriosclerotic heart disease, and coronary artery disease with status-post coronary artery bypass grafting effective September 26, 1991. The appellant was paid accrued benefits for the period from September 1, 1997, through August 1, 1999.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, gout, left knee degenerative joint disease, right knee degenerative joint disease, and thoracolumbar spine degenerative joint disease were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss or any higher ratings for the other conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a cardiac disability, headaches, and sleep apnea. The claim for respiratory disability is remanded.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral pes planus, left ankle sprain, and hypertension/heart disease (now claimed as a heart murmur). The claims for degenerative joint disease of the left shoulder and residuals of in-service left great toe injury have been granted.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluation for her service-connected chronic adjustment disorder and denied her secondary service connection claims for hypertension and GERD.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for arthritis, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. The evidence did not establish that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board denied service connection for hearing loss and found that new and material evidence had not been submitted sufficient to reopen the claims of bilateral shoulder disability, right knee disability, right hand and fingers disability, lupus erythematosus, generalized degenerative arthritis, hypertension, Sjorgren's disease, stomach disability, prostate disability, residuals of a fractured right forefinger, and residuals of an injury to the left side. The veteran is seeking to reopen these claims.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension is related to his service-connected type II diabetes mellitus and diabetic nephropathy, thus granting service connection for hypertension secondary to these conditions.