Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2009

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension and sleep apnea to obtain clarification on whether he was on Active Duty Training (ACDUTRA) in June 2002 when diagnosed with hypertension, and to determine if his pre-existing sleep apnea worsened during his second period of active duty service from October 2003 to July 2004.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension was not incurred during service and is not otherwise related to such service. As a result, the claim for service connection for hypertension is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected hypertension, currently rated at 10 percent, does not warrant a higher evaluation as it does not meet the criteria for an increased rating under VA's rating schedule.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling specialized VA examinations to assess the veteran's service-connected disabilities. The issues of entitlement to service connection for hypertension, increased rating for degenerative disease of the lumbar spine, and a compensable rating for headaches remain in appellate status.

The Board denied service connection for malaria and hypertension. The Veteran's claim of service connection for malaria was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence, and his claim for hypertension was also denied as there is no credible evidence indicating he suffered from the condition in service or until approximately 50 years afterwards.

The Board denied the Veteran's petitions to reopen his service connection claims for bilateral vision loss and high blood pressure, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for arterial hypertension, finding that it was not caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development, including obtaining a rationale from the VA examiner who provided opinions regarding the relationship between his service-connected PTSD and hypertension and heart disease.

The Board finds that the appellant is not in need of regular aid and attendance or substantially confined to her home due to her disabilities, and therefore does not meet the criteria for special monthly pension based on need for aid and attendance or being housebound.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for hypertension, which he claims is related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The Board has determined that further development of the record is needed, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart condition and hypertension were denied. The issues of reopening claims for back disability, PTSD or other psychiatric disorder, right leg sprain, degenerative joint and disc disease of the cervical spine, bilateral hearing loss, carpal tunnel syndrome of the right hand, and carpal tunnel syndrome of the left hand were also denied.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for both hypertension and squamous cell carcinoma, forehead.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II. Therefore, the claim for service connection for hypertension is granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not have recognized POW status, and his claimed conditions are not related to his military service.

The Board has decided that the claim for service connection for hypertension, as secondary to PTSD, needs further development and will be remanded to the RO.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, hypertension, and skin disorders. The decision found that there was no evidence of a verified in-service stressor for PTSD or a causal link between any diagnosed skin disorder and herbicide exposure during active service.

The Veteran's cause of death was not service-connected, and he did not meet the requirements for nonservice-connected death pension benefits or accrued benefits.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining service treatment records and VA treatment records, as well as arranging for medical opinions regarding PTSD, hypertension, undiagnosed illness, fatigue, weakness, sleep disturbance, mild cognitive impairment, and bilateral degenerative joint disease of the knees.