Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2010

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for low back disorder, hypertension, and Type II diabetes mellitus due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated during active service.

The Board has determined that hypertension and coronary artery disease are aggravated by posttraumatic stress disorder, thus granting service connection for these conditions as secondary to the service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's hypertension is secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type 2. The Veteran has PTSD that is related to in-service stressors. Service connection for degenerative disk disease of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine is granted as secondary to his service-connected right ankle sprain.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and stroke, both claimed as secondary to his PTSD. The Veteran is seeking a higher initial rating for his PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and hypertension are all granted. The Veteran is presumed to have been exposed to herbicides in Thailand during his military service.

The Veteran's bilateral cataracts, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction were not found to be related to his service or secondary to diabetes mellitus. The claims for these conditions were denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is not related to service or his service-connected DM, and thus denied both claims for service connection.

The Board has remanded the claims due to insufficient evidence and further development is needed.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension was reopened, and he is now entitled to a 70% evaluation for PTSD.,His claim for residuals of stroke remains pending as there is no evidence provided in the decision.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a left ear hearing loss, initial compensable evaluation for HTN prior to January 26, 1999, and initial evaluations in excess of 10 percent for left foot stress fracture injury residuals, left ankle fracture injury residuals, and residual lacerations of the third and fourth fingers of the left hand were denied. The Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA purposes.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 is denied as there is no competent medical evidence showing that his chronic additional disability manifested by hypertension and numbness of the feet and legs was caused by negligence or other instance of fault on the part of VA.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim to reopen his service connection claim for hypertension, finding that no new and material evidence had been submitted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not have service in Vietnam and was not exposed to herbicides during his active service. None of the disabilities at issue were present in service or until years thereafter, and none are etiologically related to the Veteran's active service.

The Board has determined that the grant of service connection for hypertension and erectile dysfunction was clearly erroneous due to incorrect assumptions, and thus severed this service connection. The appellant's chronic kidney disease and concentric left ventricular hypertrophy were not found to be related to his military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and a bilateral shoulder disorder, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and kidney disease is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining a medical opinion on the relationship between his current conditions and military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine if there is a measurable increase in hypertension severity due to service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension and coronary artery disease are not service-connected, and any secondary service connection claims have been denied.

The Board denied the appellant's claims of entitlement to service connection for hypertension, epilepsy (previously claimed as blackouts), and an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The evidence did not show a current diagnosis of epilepsy or any other condition related to service.

The Veteran withdrew the claim of entitlement to a rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus. The remaining issues of increased ratings for peripheral neuropathy and diabetic nephropathy with aggravated essential hypertension are addressed in the remand section.