Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2011

The Veteran's service connection claims for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, coronary artery disease, and headaches are all denied as there is no evidence of a nexus to his active service.,There is no documentation that the Veteran was in Vietnam during his active service. The Board finds that he did not have any exposure to herbicide agents while serving in Korea.,The Veteran does not have diabetes mellitus, hypertension, coronary artery disease, or headaches that are related to his active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension and carotid stenosis are not secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus or heart disease, but may be aggravated by these conditions. The case is remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development to ensure a complete record and proper consideration of his claims, including the need for VA examinations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hemorrhoids, a skin disorder, gout, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease. The evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating any of these claims.

The Veteran's hypertension does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities, and therefore his claim for an increased rating is denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension and tricuspid insufficiency, rated separately at 10% and 30%, respectively, equate to a single disability rating of 40%. The effective date remains unchanged as there is no indication of when the entitlement arose.

The Board has determined that there is not sufficient evidence to establish service connection for hypertension, as it was not shown to be related to active service or any service-connected disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension did not manifest within a year of service discharge and is less likely related to his service-connected amputation. Therefore, secondary service connection for hypertension was denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension did not manifest during his active duty service and was not aggravated by such service. The evidence does not establish a nexus between the current diagnosis of hypertension and any event or injury in service, leading to a denial of service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension is not service-connected, either on a direct basis or as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II and coronary artery disease.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, and erectile dysfunction as secondary to diabetes mellitus. The Veteran's claims for hypertension and diabetic eye disability are pending.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for heart disease, including atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and hypertension, status post myocardial infarction and coronary artery stenting, is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records and an opinion regarding whether his hypertension is related to service.

The Veteran's hypertension is currently evaluated as noncompensably disabling, but the evidence shows that his blood pressure measurements have consistently been within a range that warrants a compensable evaluation. The Board finds in favor of granting a 10% disability rating for hypertension.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial compensable evaluation for hypertension prior to May 27, 2009, and in excess of 30 percent thereafter was withdrawn by the Veteran before a decision could be made.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal before the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Board has determined that the claimant's service connection claims are inextricably intertwined with his diabetes mellitus claim. Therefore, all issues related to secondary service connection for erectile dysfunction, depression, hypertension, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and diabetic retinopathy will be remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration, including obtaining medical opinions regarding whether VA treatment caused or contributed to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's service-connected erectile dysfunction is not manifested by deformity of the penis, and thus does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating. The Veteran's service-connected hypertension is manifested by diastolic pressure of predominantly 100 or more, warranting a 10 percent disability rating.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension did not begin during service or within one year of discharge, and there is no evidence to support a finding that it was otherwise etiologically related to service. The claim for service connection for hypertension was therefore denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypogonadism, rash, right shoulder disorder, lower back disorder, myocardial infarction and its residuals, peripheral circulatory disorder, hypertension, and leg numbness were denied. The Board found no evidence of hypertension or myocardial infarction during active duty or within one year post-service.