Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2010

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining relevant medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his cardiovascular disability.

The Board has determined that the appellant does not meet the criteria for special monthly compensation due to the need for aid and attendance of another person or due to being housebound.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and initial ratings have been granted. The Veteran is now service-connected for hearing loss, tinnitus, residuals of an eye injury, hypertension (as secondary to sleep apnea), facial reconstruction, obstructive sleep apnea, fractures of the right hand, a fracture of the right wrist, and headaches.

The Veteran is seeking an increased rating for dysthymic disorder and has also raised several service connection claims.,The Veteran seeks to reopen his service connection claim for prostate cancer. He also raises claims for service connection for a heart condition (atrial fibrillation with third degree AV block, status post pacemaker), hypertension, benign prostatic hypertrophy with nocturia, and TDIU.,The Veteran is seeking to reopen his service connection claim for a heart condition. He also raises claims for service connection for prostate cancer, hypertension, benign prostatic hypertrophy with nocturia, and TDIU.,The Veteran seeks to reopen his service connection claim for hypertension. He also raises claims for service connection for prostate cancer, a heart condition (atrial fibrillation with third degree AV block, status post pacemaker), benign prostatic hypertrophy with nocturia, and TDIU.,The Veteran is seeking to reopen his service connection claim for benign prostatic hypertrophy with nocturia. He also raises claims for service connection for prostate cancer, a heart condition (atrial fibrillation with third degree AV block, status post pacemaker), hypertension, and TDIU.,The Veteran seeks to reopen his service connection claim for prostate cancer. He also raises claims for service connection for a heart condition (atrial fibrillation with third degree AV block, status post pacemaker), hypertension, benign prostatic hypertrophy with nocturia, and TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a medical examination.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) due to diabetes mellitus. Service connection was denied for hypertension, ulcers, heart condition, right eye condition, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Veteran does not have any of the claimed conditions that were incurred or aggravated by service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased disability rating for hypertension and service connection for cardiovascular disease, finding that his diastolic pressure was not predominantly 110 or more and his systolic pressure was not predominantly 200 or more. The claim for right ankle and knee disorders were also denied as new and material evidence had not been submitted.

The Board has determined that hypertension was incurred in service and granted the Veteran's claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed low back disability and hypertension were not incurred or aggravated by service, nor can they be presumed to have been incurred therein. The evidence does not support a finding of continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Veteran is entitled to special monthly pension benefits due to his nonservice-connected disabilities and age over 65, meeting the criteria for housebound status.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, when evaluated in association with his educational attainment and occupational experience, preclude all forms of substantially gainful employment. Therefore, the claim for a TDIU is granted.

The Board has restored service connection for PTSD and denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, as well as hypertension. The decision found that the evidence did not establish clear and unmistakable error in granting service connection for PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension does not meet or nearly approximate the criteria for a compensable evaluation under the applicable rating criteria.

The Veteran's claim for a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability is being remanded for additional development of the record, including obtaining his vocational rehabilitation and counseling folder.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension is being remanded due to incomplete records, particularly those from the 1970s and early 2000s. The VA will attempt to obtain these records to determine if they contain relevant information.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease and hypertension is being remanded due to the need for clarification on whether these conditions are proximately due or aggravated by his service-connected cold injury residuals of the hands and feet.

The Veteran's cause of death was valvular disease and sepsis. The Appellant seeks service connection for the cause of her husband's death, arguing that his exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam caused or contributed to his death. The VA is required to seek a medical opinion on whether hypertension and diabetes are causally connected to the Veteran's death.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to fully evaluate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining service treatment records and scheduling appropriate examinations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased initial ratings for hypertension with chronic renal insufficiency, lumbar spine strain, and plantar fasciitis with calcaneal spurs. The evidence did not meet the criteria for higher disability ratings under applicable VA rating criteria.