Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2008

The Board denied service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome (including Epstein-Barr disease), brain disorder manifested by atrophy, cognitive impairment, memory loss, executive dysfunction, poor writing, and poor motor skills, pericarditis, toxoplasmosis, and hypertension. The veteran's claims were not based on exposure to ionizing radiation.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have any of the claimed conditions related to his military service, and thus denied all claims for service connection.

The Board found that the veteran's hypertension was not incurred or aggravated during his active service and denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that it was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and is not related to his service-connected PTSD.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for kidney disorder, hypertension, and gastroesophageal reflux disease as they were not proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disability.

The Board found that hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by service and could not be presumed to have been incurred or aggravated in service, nor is it proximately due to, the result of, or aggravated by the veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the merits of the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and a bilateral foot disorder. The case is REMANDED for further action.

The veteran's hypertension was not caused or aggravated by his service-connected COPD.,There is no document prior to June 3, 1994 that can be construed as a claim for service connection for COPD.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss, depression, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, and hypertension are all service-connected.,However, it is noted that these conditions were not shown during active duty or within one year of separation.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and conducting VA examinations to determine if the veteran's back disorder and hypertension are related to service.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the veteran's death, and thus had no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of the claim for service connection for hypertension.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for heart disease, residuals of rheumatic fever, and vision disorder due to radiation exposure. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to service.

The Board found that the veteran's hypertension and heart condition were not caused by or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD, and thus denied these claims.

The Board has determined that the submitted evidence is not new and material to reopen the claim for service connection for low back disability, hypertension (claimed as secondary to type II diabetes mellitus), and coronary artery disease (claimed as secondary to type II diabetes mellitus).

The Board has ordered additional development to determine if the veteran's service-connected PTSD caused or significantly contributed to his death, including cardiovascular disorders.

The veteran's initial claim for higher ratings for his right shoulder, right knee, left knee, left ankle, and hypertension disabilities was granted. The RO assigned a 20 percent rating for the right shoulder prior to August 22, 2007, and increased it to 30 percent effective that date. Ratings of 10 percent were assigned for his right knee, left knee, and left ankle disabilities since August 9, 2007.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss and hypertension. The decision found that the veteran does not have current left ear hearing loss disability as defined by VA regulation, and thus may not be granted service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension is not related to service or his service-connected disabilities, and therefore denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the appellant's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and hypertension are not supported by the evidence of record. The claim for ear disorder (to include hearing loss) is reopened, but further development is needed before a decision can be made.

The veteran's claims for service connection were denied. His bilateral hearing loss was rated as 0 percent, hypertension as 0 percent, and back disability and undiagnosed illness-related arthralgias/myalgias were not found to be related to active military service or events therein.