Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2008

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for hypertension on an accrued benefits basis and determined that it was caused or aggravated by the veteran's service-connected PTSD. The appellant's death due to congestive heart failure, which included hypertension as a significant condition, is attributed to her service-connected disabilities.

The veteran's claims for service connection were denied, and the effective date for his service-connected lung cancer was set at June 7, 2004.

The veteran's hypertension is not service-connected and was not caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The Board finds that the PTSD warrants a 70 percent disability rating, but does not meet the criteria for an even higher evaluation.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, including as secondary to service-connected asbestosis. The evidence did not support a direct grant of service connection and the veteran's claim was also not supported by secondary service connection.

The Board has granted a 30 percent rating for chronic sinusitis effective from October 25, 2004. The veteran's hypertension is rated at 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran's glaucoma is not related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, and a separate compensable disability evaluation for hypertension as a diabetic complication is denied.

The Board denied service connection for a cardiac disorder, left leg disorder, and diabetes mellitus. The preponderance of the evidence is against these claims.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and an evaluation in excess of 50 percent disabling for PTSD, finding no evidence to support these claims.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim, finding that hypertension is proximately due to or the result of his service-connected obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected hypertension and migraine headaches do not warrant increased ratings as they do not meet the criteria for higher schedular ratings under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The veteran's appeal was granted, with a 20% disability rating for post-operative residuals of temporomandibular joint dysfunction from August 18, 2004. The other claims were either denied or not addressed in the decision.

The Board has identified the need for further development regarding the veteran's service connection claims, including obtaining his military personnel records and conducting a VA examination to determine if any of the claimed conditions are related to his active or reserve service.

The veteran's combined disability rating was at least 60% since January 1995, qualifying him for retroactive payment of benefits for a dependent spouse. The RO's decision in April 2002 did not finalize the determination to pay the veteran as a single person with no dependents.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension, left knee condition, headache disorder, and acquired psychiatric disorder. The decision found that new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by or related to his service-connected disabilities, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.

The Board granted the veteran's claims of service connection for obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, sleep apnea, depression, a skin rash, and an eye disability as secondary to his service-connected hypothyroidism.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a back disorder and hypertension, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable rating for left inguinal hernia, service connection for residuals of a spinal injury, heart disorder, and hypertension. The veteran's left inguinal hernia was not recurrent or readily reducible, thus not meeting the criteria for a 10% rating under Diagnostic Code 7338.

The veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for essential hypertension is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and consideration of new evidence.

The veteran's non-service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for special monthly pension based on need for aid and attendance. However, he meets the requirements for housebound status due to his age and multiple service-connected disabilities.