Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2008

The veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including a medical opinion assessing his ability to secure and follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the veteran's kidney failure and hypertension are both service-connected, with kidney failure being directly related to service and hypertension being secondary to the kidney disease.

The VA has determined that the veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a TDIU as they are less than total, and there is no evidence showing he is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for obesity, hypertension, sleep apnea, and exertional chest pain. The Board found that there was no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis C, cirrhosis of the liver, and hypertension as they were not shown to be related to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for hypertension, residuals of frostbite of the feet, residuals of malaria, arthritis and migraine headaches. The evidence received since the previous decisions did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate these claims.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension is not related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II and/or PTSD, and thus denied his claim for secondary service connection.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic cardiovascular disease, to include hypertension, during service or within one year after discharge. The VA examiners concluded that the veteran's current hypertension and coronary artery disease are not related to his active military service.

The Board has ordered a remand to determine if the veteran's hypertension is related to his service-connected PTSD. The case will be returned for further action.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disorder, hypertension, and sleep disorder due to undiagnosed illness. The evidence submitted since the final decisions is considered new and material as it supports the presence of an undiagnosed illness manifested by these conditions.

The veteran's claim for secondary service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, a disorder of the left lower extremity, glaucoma, and bladder disorder is denied as there are no current diagnoses that support these claims.,The veteran's claim for secondary service connection for coronary artery disease (including hypertension) is denied as there is no evidence of such condition.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD and other psychiatric disorders in August 2005. The veteran's claims for various other conditions have been remanded due to the need for a thorough medical examination.

The Board found that the veteran's currently diagnosed hypertension is not related to service or his service-connected anxiety disorder, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that neither hypertension nor an ulcer disability was incurred in or aggravated by active service, and the veteran's claims for these conditions are denied.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and tendonitis of the right shoulder.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his service-connected atrial fibrillation, aortic stenosis, status post aortic valve replacement and hypertension is being remanded due to the need for proper VCAA notice and a VA examination.

The veteran's skin disorder of the feet, gastrointestinal disorders (dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome), hypertension, and erectile dysfunction were not found to be related to service or secondary to service-connected PTSD. The veteran was granted a 50% evaluation for his PTSD.

The veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of the back, peptic ulcer disease, tinnitus, coronary artery disease, essential hypertension, and PTSD were denied. The claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was granted with a current evaluation of 60 percent.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for the claims of service connection for hypertension, visual impairment, and a dental disability prior to the promulgation of a decision. The claim for an increased evaluation for residuals of a fracture of the right third metacarpal is dismissed as there is no evidence of compensable disability.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension does not meet or approximate the criteria for a compensable initial rating, and thus denied his claim.