Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2008

The VA has denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the veteran's hypertension, finding that his blood pressure readings have not consistently met the criteria for higher ratings.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and hypertension. For PTSD, the claim was denied due to a lack of verified in-service stressors. For hypertension, no diagnosis was provided by VA medical records.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension is related to his period of active military service and granted service connection for this condition. The veteran's erectile dysfunction, which was previously rated as noncompensably disabling, is now rated at a 20 percent disability rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension is not incurred in or related to his active military service, and it cannot be presumed due to exposure to Agent Orange. The claim for secondary service connection based on PTSD was also denied.

The Board found that the veteran's hypertension did not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent, and denied service connection for benign cysts of the liver due to lack of evidence linking the condition to her military service.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and degenerative disc disease of the thoracic spine, finding that the veteran's conditions were not incurred or aggravated by his military service.

The veteran's hypertension was not incurred during active service and there is no competent medical evidence linking it to service.,Bilateral peripheral neuropathy has not been diagnosed, and the earliest evidence of a diagnosis is several years after separation from service.,Spermatocele was first clinically confirmed during a period of IDT following a motor vehicle accident. Service connection is granted based on this history.,PTSD does not meet criteria for total occupational and social impairment.,Cervical contusion and sprain have been manifested by moderate limitation of motion with no incapacitating episodes requiring bed rest.,Lumbar spine contusion and strain with radiculopathy were manifested by characteristic pain on motion with slight to severe limitations in motion, but without incapacitating episodes requiring bed rest prior or since February 24, 2006.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current right knee sprain, hypertension, and coronary artery disease are not related to his military service. The claim for residuals of a right knee injury is denied as there is no evidence linking it to an in-service injury. The claim for hypertension is also denied because there is no evidence showing it was incurred during service or within one year after discharge. The claim for coronary artery disease secondary to hypertension is not supported by the available medical records.

The Board has reopened the appellant's claim of service connection for cause of death due to new evidence showing hypertension, a presumptive condition for former POWs. However, the Board found that there is no competent medical evidence to support a diagnosis of hypertension at the time of the veteran's death.

The veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his lumbar spine disorder and hypertension were denied. The lumbar spine disorder was rated as 10 percent disabling, while the hypertension remained non-compensable.

The veteran's claim of service connection for insomnia, as a manifestation of his service-connected adjustment disorder, has been dismissed due to the overlap between the two conditions and the established compensation.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for the cause of her husband's death and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefits, finding that there was no legal basis to grant the claim as a matter of law.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have diabetes mellitus, hypertension, a back disability, or residuals of heat stroke as a result of service. The claims for these conditions are therefore denied.

The veteran's appeal for service connection on the merits has been perfected, and all issues have been granted.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, finding no evidence of a current disability related to service. The claim for reopening of the hypertension claim was also denied.

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

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, hypertension (as secondary to his service-connected paroxysmal atrial tachycardia), and a stroke. The increased rating claim for paroxysmal atrial tachycardia was also denied.

The Board denied the appellant's request to reopen her claim of service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding no new and material evidence that would support reopening the claim.

The veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, claimed as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, is being remanded due to the need for additional development and examination.

The Board found that the veteran's hypertension was not incurred or aggravated during his period of active service and may not be presumed to have been incurred therein. The evidence did not show a diagnosis of hypertension within one year after separation from service.