Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2008

The Board determined that the veteran's medical treatment at Albany General Hospital on April 15 and 16, 2006 was not for an emergency condition requiring immediate care. The closest VA facility was feasibly available but could not be safely transferred to due to distance.

The veteran's claim for service connection for arteriosclerotic heart disease was denied. The claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not related to service or a service-connected disability, while the PTSD claim was granted.,The claims for depression and low back disorder were reopened but not granted.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unemployable, and thus grants a total disability rating on the basis of individual unemployability.

The Board denied service connection for the claimed conditions, including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, vascular disease, cerebrovascular accident, osteoporosis, and dermatitis, due to exposure to ionizing radiation. The claims were found not well grounded.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and conducting a physical examination.

The veteran's service connection claims for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus type 2 and hearing loss, are granted based on presumed exposure to herbicide agents during his Vietnam-era service.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that it was not incurred in or aggravated by service and is not associated with his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including scheduling a VA examination and providing additional VCAA notice.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension did not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent during the period under consideration.

The veteran's hypertension and epididymitis were evaluated, but neither condition met the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable VA rating schedule. The current ratings are appropriate.

The Board found that the veteran's essential hypertension did not manifest during service or within one year of separation, and there is no evidence linking it to his military service. The Board also determined that the veteran's current diagnosis of essential hypertension was not proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected postoperative inguinal hernia.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board found that the veteran's COPD and hypertension were not incurred or aggravated by active military service, including as due to inservice exposure to ionizing radiation. The claims for service connection are denied.

The Board denied all claims for service connection, finding no competent medical evidence linking the veteran's claimed conditions to his military service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining treatment records from the Guam Vet Center and issuing a statement of the case regarding his claims for hypertension secondary to PTSD and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have hypertension that was incurred in or aggravated by active duty, nor may it be presumed to have been incurred in service. The back disability is also not shown by credible evidence of record to be etiologically related to a disease, injury, or event in service.

The Board is unable to determine the correct time of diagnosis for the veteran's hypertension due to conflicting and uncertain medical evidence. The case is REMANDED for further examination and opinion.

The veteran's unauthorized medical expenses for treatment at O'Connor Hospital from October 6, 2005 to November 3, 2005 are granted as the VA facilities were not feasibly available and no prior authorization was given.

The veteran's combined rating of 60 percent due to service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable for the period prior to September 21, 2004.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to new evidence submitted by the veteran.