Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2008

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, heart disease, PTSD, residuals of a scar above the left eye, and bilateral hearing loss are all denied as they do not meet the criteria for establishing service connection.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death due to lack of a pending claim at the time of the veteran's death. The appellant's arguments regarding the role of her husband's service-connected disabilities in his death were not sufficient to establish service connection as there was no evidence linking these conditions to his death.

The veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining employment history and Social Security Administration records.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding no evidence of its onset in service or within one year post-service and thus denying direct service connection. The Board also found that there was insufficient evidence to establish a presumptive basis for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including PTSD and its secondary effects, as there was no credible evidence to support the occurrence of the alleged personal assaults during service.

The Board found that the veteran's claimed conditions did not have onset during service and are not related to his military service, including exposure to herbicides. As such, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's physical incapacity requires regular aid and attendance of another person to protect him from hazards or dangers incident to his daily environment, warranting special monthly pension.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and heart disease secondary to his service-connected solitary pelvic kidney, as well as a claim for an increased evaluation. The evidence did not support these claims.

The Board has determined that the veteran's VA Form 9, received in January 2004 is not a timely filed substantive appeal as to the issue of service connection for PTSD. As such, this issue is dismissed.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension is proximately due to or the result of his service-connected bipolar disorder, and thus grants secondary service connection for hypertension.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for the cause of her husband's death, nonservice-connected death pension benefits, and accrued benefits due to lack of legal entitlement under the law.

The veteran's claims for service connection were denied, and his claim to reopen a PTSD claim was also denied. The VA determined that the evidence did not meet the criteria for reopening the PTSD claim due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for hypertension, finding that it was not incurred in or aggravated by service, presumed to have been incurred in service, or incurred as a result of a service-connected disability. The evidence did not support a link between post-traumatic stress disorder and an increase in hypertension severity.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating, finding that new evidence did not reopen his claim of hearing loss and that he did not meet criteria for higher ratings for PTSD. The claims were also denied as secondary to post-traumatic stress disorder.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, diabetes mellitus (claimed as secondary to exposure to Agent Orange), right knee disability, and loss of the left eye. The evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and military service.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including skin disorders, migraines, hypertension, eye disorders, neuropathy, tinnitus, temporomandibular joint disorder, and hyperlipidemia, all allegedly due to exposure to Agent Orange. The veteran's PTSD claim was granted with a 30% rating effective February 2, 2004.

The veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and an employment opinion.

The veteran's service-connected left radius and ulna fractures have resulted in ankylosis of the elbow joint, preventing pronation and supination. The RO has granted a 50 percent rating for this condition.

The veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent since September 1, 2004. The RO has granted a higher rating to 70 percent effective from September 1, 2004.,Prior to June 30, 2004, the veteran's PTSD was rated at 30 percent.

The Board found that the veteran's cause of death (congestive heart failure due to coronary artery disease) was not incurred or aggravated in active military service, nor may it be presumed to have been so incurred. The preponderance of evidence is against a finding that any of these conditions are related to his service.