Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2009

The Veteran's claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 are being remanded due to the need to obtain additional records from SSA and VA.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection for any of the conditions listed in his claims. The VA made all reasonable efforts to assist him, but he failed to report for scheduled examinations and missed a hearing.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to incomplete information regarding his in-service stressors and for additional development of medical records.

The Board has determined that the submitted evidence does not meet the criteria for reopening any of the Veteran's service connection claims, as it is either insufficient to establish new and material evidence or does not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disability (including parasomnia), a memory loss disability, hypertension, and coronary artery disease (CAD) due to lack of evidence supporting these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.

The Board has granted service connection for the aggravation of hypertension by the service-connected diabetes mellitus. The cardiovascular disease and PVD secondary service connection issues are remanded to obtain medical opinions regarding whether the service-connected diabetes mellitus aggravated the appellant's cardiac disease or PVD.

The Veteran's hypertensive heart disease and hypertension are each rated at 30 percent, with a separate 10 percent rating for hypertension. The claim for an increased rating for hypertensive heart disease is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for her service-connected right ankle disability, as well as her claim to reopen a previously denied claim for service connection for migraine headaches with dizziness. The rating assigned for her right ankle disability was maintained at 30 percent. Her thalassemia and anemia were rated compensably.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable evaluation for impotence is denied. The Board finds that there is no evidence of a penis deformity, which is required for a compensable evaluation under the applicable rating criteria.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension did not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent, as his diastolic pressure was predominantly below 110 and systolic pressure was predominantly below 200. The appeal is denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by service and may not be presumed to have been incurred in service. The claim for service connection for hypertension was denied.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for heart disease, to include as secondary to service-connected PTSD. The Veteran's hypertension is related to his service-connected PTSD, and his heart disease is related to his service-connected hypertension.

The Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for left middle finger disability and service connection for hypertension were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support granting any of these claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension as secondary to PTSD and a skin disorder, claimed as a result of herbicide exposure. The evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran's current conditions were caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for arthritis and hypertension, finding no current diagnosis of arthritis and noting that the appellant's hypertension was first diagnosed decades after his discharge from active service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, finding no evidence of a causal link between these conditions and his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, as well as dyslipidemia. The reasons were that there was no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicide agents like Agent Orange, and the conditions did not manifest within a year of discharge from active service.

The Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating of 10 percent for service-connected hypertension was granted. The issue of service connection for dental trauma purposes for all teeth was withdrawn by the Veteran.

The Board found that the Veteran's current diabetes mellitus, kidney stones, respiratory disability, acquired psychiatric disability, and hypertension are not related to his military service. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that February 25, 2004 is the correct effective date for the grant of service connection for hypertension. The veteran's earlier claims were not timely filed and therefore did not result in an effective date prior to this date.