Hypertension (high blood pressure) Board decisions

The Board has determined that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's hypertension is aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus. However, hyperlipidemia was found to be a laboratory finding and not considered a disability for VA purposes.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to issues related to service connection, including verification of asbestos exposure and obtaining relevant treatment records. The Veteran's hypertension is being evaluated in relation to service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's hypertension is at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected type II diabetes mellitus, and grants service connection for this disability.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petition to reopen his previously denied claim of entitlement to service connection for hypertension and found that new evidence received since the January 2005 rating decision is material. The issue now before the Board is whether hypertension is secondary to a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to address whether his service-connected diabetes mellitus caused or aggravated his hypertension.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) at the housebound rate prior to June 11, 2012, as he did not have a single service-connected disability rated at 100% or be permanently housebound due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities from June 28, 2012.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his active service or presumed herbicide exposure. The Board also found that the Veteran did not have chronic symptoms of hypertension during service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment since September 18, 2009.

The Veteran's hypertension has been granted service connection.,For his right knee disability, the Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and heart palpitations are not related to his service-connected hemorrhoids or any other in-service event.,There is no current diagnosis of a heart condition for which service connection can be granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including neurological symptoms, headaches, skin disorder, muscle pain, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and CFS, were denied. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and service.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension is not related to his service or service-connected hypothyroidism, and thus denied the claim.

The Veteran's hypertension did not meet the criteria for a higher initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent during the entire initial rating period from October 16, 2000.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is presumed to have been incurred in service due to chronic symptoms during and after service, thus granting service connection for hypertension.

The Veteran's service-connected hypertension has been rated at 10 percent since February 23, 2001. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating as her blood pressure readings have consistently been below the criteria for a 20 percent or higher rating.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and to schedule her for VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of her hypertension, stroke (transient ischemic attack), and acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claim for diabetes mellitus type II is granted due to herbicide exposure in Thailand. The claim for hypertension as secondary to diabetes mellitus type II remains pending.

The Veteran's attorney has withdrawn the appeal for several issues, including service connection for myopic astigmatism and presbyopia and hypertension. The remaining issues have been dismissed.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction have been granted.