Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2009

The Veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of the right upper arm and shoulder, hypertension, and PTSD were denied. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to his active service.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to his desire to drop the appeal and accept the current rating of 60 percent for arteriosclerotic heart disease and myocardial damage with hypertension.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hip arthritis, acquired visual disorder, low back disorder, and arthritis of multiple joints (other than the hips) have all been denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is likely due to his service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's income is not above the statutory limit for disability pension. The Board denied his claim of need for regular aid and attendance or by reason of being housebound due to lack of evidence showing he requires such assistance.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension and erectile dysfunction are not directly related to his military service, and thus denied both claims.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, hypertension, and a heart disability were denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions and the evidence does not support a finding that they are related to service.

The Veteran's hypertension is not service-connected as it did not manifest during his period of active service and there is no evidence linking the condition to a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at 20 percent since October 15, 2008. The claim for service connection for hypertension has been reopened and granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for initial compensable evaluations for bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, and higher initial ratings for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The Veteran's hearing loss was rated as noncompensable. For hypertension, a rating of 10 percent prior to April 6, 2006, and 10 percent thereafter is granted. GERD remains at a noncompensable level.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Veteran was not granted any new or material evidence to reopen his claims, nor did he meet the criteria for a higher rating under the schedular guidelines.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD was a contributory cause of his death from abdominal aortic aneurysm, coronary artery disease, and hypertension. As such, the claim for service connection for the Veteran's cause of death is granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by service and may not be presumed due to a disease associated with military service. The claim was denied.

The Veteran's hypertension was not shown to be related to his service-connected disabilities and is therefore denied.,The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is not considered secondary to his service-connected disabilities and is also denied.,There is no evidence of a current psychiatric disorder, so the claim for service connection for depression is denied.

The Veteran's hypertension is not presumed to be due to Agent Orange exposure, and there is no evidence linking it to his service-connected PTSD or any other condition. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence does not support a grant of service connection for hypertension.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are denied as his accounts of events during service and onset of disabilities are not credible, and there is no evidence to support a finding of in-service injury or disease.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as his conditions do not meet the criteria for service connection or a compensable disability rating.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and a dermatological disorder, finding no medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and found no evidence of an eye disability other than refractive error.

The Board found that there is no medical evidence of hypertension until many years post-service, and the Veteran's current diagnosis of hypertension was not caused or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.