Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2009

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, finding that no evidence showed a service-connected disability caused or contributed to his death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is related to his service and has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and heart disorder, finding that these conditions were not incurred in or aggravated by service, may not be presumed to have been incurred or aggravated therein, and are not proximately due to his service-connected pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB).

The Veteran's hypertension and PTSD were not found to be related to service, leading to a denial of both claims.

The Board has determined that further VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's hypertension, depression, and kidney disability are related to his service-connected conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis, hypertension, and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine as they are not shown to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted service connection, and the Board also remanded for further examination of his low back, right hand, and right knee disabilities. Service connection was not granted for PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for hypertension was denied as the evidence did not show that his diastolic blood pressure readings were predominantly 120 or greater.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD does not render him permanently bedridden or so helpless as to be in need of regular aid and attendance. He is able to ambulate independently for short distances, is generally independent in self-care, is apparently able to feed himself, and is able to leave his house at his own discretion.

The Board denied reopening the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and diabetes mellitus, type II due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus was not incurred in service, nor may it be presumed due to herbicide exposure.,Service connection for hypertension is not warranted as there is no evidence of a current disability within one year after separation from service.,Erectile dysfunction and memory loss are not shown to have been incurred or aggravated by service. The Veteran's currently-shown conditions do not appear related to his military service.,The Veteran does not have a current chronic skin disorder.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and denied service connection for hypertension. Service connection is granted for PTSD based on a verified in-service stressor, while hypertension was not incurred or aggravated by active service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and information from Social Security Administration.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a hearing at the RO before a Veterans Law Judge.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for high blood pressure and tuberculosis have been denied. The claim for hepatitis B remains pending as there is insufficient evidence to determine its current status.

The Board found that the service member's death was not caused by a service-connected condition, and thus denied both the claim for service connection for the cause of death and the DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension is being remanded due to the need to obtain VA and private treatment records, which may establish a diagnosis of hypertension soon after his discharge from service in October 2003.

The Board found that the Veteran's current hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by service, nor may it be presumed to have been incurred in service. The VA examination report did not establish a link between his current hypertension and his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions have not met the criteria for increased evaluations beyond the currently assigned ratings.