Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2011

The Board finds that the Veteran's pulmonary hypertension is proximately due to her service-connected abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral oophorectomy and grants the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus, type II, peripheral neuropathy of the ulnar nerve of the left hand, essential hypertension, arthritis of the right elbow, and erectile dysfunction, contributed substantially or materially to his death due to a head injury from a fall caused by unsteady gait resulting from his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's current cardiovascular disability, including hypertension and coronary artery disease.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension preexisted his period of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and was not aggravated by service. As such, the claim for service connection is denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination regarding the appellant's heart disability, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for the purpose of obtaining additional VA treatment records and Social Security Administration (SSA) records that may be relevant to his claims. The claims will then be reconsidered.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension was not incurred or aggravated during his military service and is not related to any in-service event, injury, or disease. The claim for service connection for hypertension is denied.

The Veteran's claimed conditions are not service-connected as they were not shown during his active duty service from 1963 to 1966, and there is no evidence of their onset or aggravation due to such service. The disorders are more likely related to the Veteran's National Guard service.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension and heart disease did not manifest during service or within one year of discharge, and there is no evidence to support a finding of direct service connection. The VA medical expert opinion concluded that the Veteran's PTSD did not cause or aggravate his hypertension or heart disease.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension did not have onset in service and was not caused or aggravated by his active military service, to include his service-connected PTSD.,The Board has also determined that the Veteran's nephrolithiasis did not have onset in service and was not caused or aggravated by his active military service, to include his service-connected chronic membranous glomerulonephritis.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and herniated disc of the lumbar spine, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty or to his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The diagnoses were not present in service or until many years after service.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is rated at 40% and his hypertension is rated at 10%. The evidence does not support higher ratings for either condition.

The Veteran's request for an extension of his delimiting date beyond September 1, 2006, for education benefits under the Montgomery GI Bill was denied as he did not have a physical or mental disability that prevented him from initiating and pursuing an educational program during the applicable period.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to missing records and an inadequate VA examination report.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and examination, including for an opinion on whether the Veteran's hypertension is caused by his service-connected PTSD and whether he has a current skin disorder related to active service.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and assigned a 0 percent rating. The Veteran's gunshot wound residuals to the left upper thigh are rated as noncompensable, but his right upper buttocks and right medial thigh scars are also rated as noncompensable.

The Board has denied service connection for low back disability and hypertension, finding no evidence of a nexus to service. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss remains pending.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension was denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between the condition and his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are not of such severity as to render him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension is being remanded due to the need for additional evidentiary development, including verifying his periods of active duty and ACDUTRA in the TNARNG, obtaining outstanding STRs related to this period, and scheduling a VA examination.