Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2008

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus type II, diabetic retinopathy as secondary to diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension as secondary to diabetes mellitus type II, and end stage renal disease as secondary to diabetes mellitus type II. The veteran's conditions are found to be the result of his active service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the veteran's heart disorder and its relationship to service or service-connected conditions. The veteran needs a VA examination to determine if he has any currently diagnosed heart disorders, their etiology, and whether they are related to his military service or any other condition.

The Board has granted service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities secondary to diabetes mellitus. The veteran's claims for initial compensable evaluations for erectile dysfunction, glaucoma/cataracts, and hypertension are remanded for further development.

The Board granted increased ratings for cataracts and PTSD, found new and material evidence to reopen the claim for hypertension secondary to diabetes mellitus, and denied service connection for cardiomyopathy.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, a bilateral knee disorder, headaches, hypertension, and a low back disorder due to lack of current diagnoses and no evidence linking these conditions to service.

The veteran's cause of death was not service-connected, and the surviving spouse is therefore denied DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The Board has remanded the case for further medical opinions regarding whether the veteran's kidney disease had its onset during service or within a year of separation, and if any events in service caused or aggravated the condition. The claim will be reconsidered based on this new evidence.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical records from the FAA and scheduling a hearing at the RO.

The Board denied the veteran's request for an increased rating for hypertension and service connection for presbyopia. The current rating for hypertension is 10 percent, and no new evidence was submitted to reopen the claim for presbyopia.

The veteran's conditions do not render him permanently bedridden or so helpless as to be in need of regular aid and attendance. He needs occasional assistance with activities of daily living, but is able to ambulate for distances greater than 100 feet with the use of a walker.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including scheduling of VA examinations to assess the severity of his hypertension and lumbosacral spine disability.

The Board found that the veteran's coronary artery disease is not caused by or aggravated by his service-connected hypertension, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The veteran is seeking service connection for stroke with brain atrophy and hypertension, both claimed as secondary to medications prescribed for his service-connected schizophrenia. The Board has determined that additional VA opinions are needed regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for a video conference hearing due to his inability to attend the scheduled Travel Board hearing.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for chronic gynecological problems, low back pain, leg edema (secondary to hypertension), hypertension, chest pain, angina, cardiac arrest and Prinzmetal angina, and diabetes mellitus. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to her military service.

The veteran's claims for service connection for chronic hypertension, a chronic heart disorder, and chronic cold injury residuals were denied as there was no evidence of these conditions during or after active service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete service records and for VA examinations to determine if the veteran's hypertension and foot disabilities are related to her military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for epidermoid carcinoma of the base of the tongue, scar tissue around neck artery and residuals of a stroke as secondary to treatment for cancer of the base of the tongue, respiratory disorder including COPD, and heart disorder including pacemaker implantation and hypertension. The evidence did not establish that these conditions were related to service or herbicide exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for myasthenia gravis. The status of the hypertension claim is unknown due to insufficient evidence.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and coronary artery disease as secondary to PTSD, finding that the evidence did not support a causal relationship.