Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2013

The Veteran's appeal regarding the compensable rating for service-connected hypertension and the propriety of a discontinued award of service-connected benefits for hypertension from August 1976 to January 2005 has been dismissed.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and denied the remaining issues on appeal. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, finding that new and material evidence was not received to reopen these previously denied claims.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination for hypertension and a failure to address the initial rating issue.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current disabilities of hypertension, mitral valve disorder, post-concussion syndrome (residuals of TBI), restless leg syndrome, sleep apnea, left ankle disorder, left hip disorder, or right knee disorder. As such, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims for service connection for hypertension and hypercholesterolemia, but not for other conditions. The Veteran's claim of service connection for a bilateral eye disability, nausea, loss of appetite and abdominal pain, recurring headaches, skin disability, and hearing loss remains denied.

The appellant's non-service-connected disabilities, including hepatitis C rated at 40 percent, do not meet the criteria for a permanent and total rating for non-service-connected pension benefits.

The Board has remanded the claims due to inadequate VA examination and needs clarification on whether current hypertension or respiratory disabilities including asthma are related to service.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension and type II diabetes mellitus did not begin during his periods of active service, and thus denied entitlement to service connection for both conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and diabetes mellitus with diabetic retinopathy, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension did not manifest to a compensable degree within one year of service separation and was not incurred during active duty. The VA medical opinions concluded that the current diagnosis of hypertension is not related to service.

The Board found no evidence of chronic sinusitis or hypertension during service and denied the Veteran's claims for service connection on this basis. The Board also noted that there was no medical opinion linking current hypertension to diabetes.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of the record, including obtaining legible copies of Fort Drum records and scheduling VA examinations. The claim will be reviewed to determine if service connection can be granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and a bilateral foot disability. The claim of service connection for hypertension was also remanded to determine if it was secondary to diabetes mellitus, type 2.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus with diabetic nephropathy, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, and diabetic retinopathy is not manifested by episodes of ketoacidosis or hypoglycemic reactions requiring one or two hospitalizations per year or twice a month visits to a diabetic care provider, plus complications that would not be compensable if separately evaluated. Therefore, the Veteran's diabetes mellitus with diabetic nephropathy, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, and diabetic retinopathy is rated at 40 percent.

The Board has determined that service connection is granted for residuals of a foreign body injury to the right eye, but not for hypertension. The Veteran's corneal scar was incurred in service and his headaches are service-connected. However, there is no direct evidence linking hypertension to service or service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prior to February 4, 2011, rendered him unemployable from performing all forms of substantially gainful employment that are consistent with his education and occupational experience.

The Board found that the Veteran's currently diagnosed hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, nor is it proximately due to, or aggravated by, a service-connected disability. The preponderance of the competent evidence of record does not support a finding that the Veteran's hypertension is related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current conditions (hypertension, brain seizures, cystitis, multiple joint pains, knee disorder and hemorrhage seizure) are not related to his military service or any service-connected disability. The claims for these conditions have been denied.

The Veteran does not have hypertension that is related to military service. His current hypertension has no link to his time in active duty.