Hypertension (high blood pressure) Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal of the denial of service connection for burning feet has been withdrawn. The hypertension and skin cancer claims are remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection due to lack of new and material evidence. The issues related to reopening previously denied claims for hypertension, chronic skin disability (dermatitis, chloracne, squamous cell carcinoma), diabetes mellitus type II, cardiac disability, breathing problems, and a chronic nerve disability of the hands, face, and legs.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the failure to schedule a videoconference hearing. The issues of service connection for asthma and hypertension, as well as TDIU, are still pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability is as likely as not partly attributable to his active duty service, and hypertension was found to be at least as likely as not caused by a work-related injury in 1993. Service connection for both conditions is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's currently diagnosed hypertension is caused by or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes, and thus grants service connection for hypertension as secondary to service-connected diabetes.

The Board granted service connection for essential hypertension and assigned a noncompensable disability rating, effective February 1, 2007. The Veteran disagrees with the assigned rating and has requested a statement of the case.

The Board found that the cause of death, anoxic brain injury due to hypotension and bradycardia, was not caused or contributed substantially or materially by any service-connected disability. The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, lumbosacral spine disability, tinnitus, hypertension, and bilateral hearing loss were deemed insufficient to contribute to his death.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and ensuring all relevant evidence is considered.

The Board found that the evidence added to the record since the final rating decisions does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims for hearing loss, diabetes mellitus as a result of exposure to herbicides, rosacea and actinic keratosis (claimed as a skin disorder) as a result of exposure to herbicides, hypertension, or anxiety, panic attacks, and depression.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including the need to obtain service personnel and treatment records from the Puerto Rico Army National Guard and VA medical center records. The Veteran will also be provided with a VA examination to assess the severity of his hypertension, hemorrhoids, coronary artery disease, and right lower extremity arteriosclerosis.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension had its onset during his period of active duty training (ACDUTRA) and is therefore service-connected.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and hypertension have been granted service connection, with a 10% rating for hypertension effective January 9, 2008.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining deck logs from the USS De Haven and determining if routine dumping of Agent Orange over water off Vietnam was a practice prior to landing. The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and peripheral neuropathy are inextricably intertwined with his claim for diabetes.

The Veteran does not have evidence of a current disability of hypertension during his period of active duty service. The Board finds no basis to grant the claim for service connection for hypertension.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease with hypertension has been granted service connection and assigned a 30 percent disability rating, effective August 1, 2006. A separate 20 percent rating for hypertension is also granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension and testicular disorder are not service-connected, with no indication of a nexus to military service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including eye/vision disability, skin disability, schizophrenia, cervical spine disability, chronic rhinitis, degenerative joint disease (including osteoarthritis of the spine), peripheral neuropathy, and hypertension. The decision is mixed as some issues have been granted while others remain pending.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, arthritis of the right hand, arthritis of the left hand, arthritis of the right foot, arthritis of the left foot, and arthritis of the thoracic and lumbosacral spine. The claims were adjudicated based on direct service connection.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for the issues of entitlement to service connection for hypertension and nose bleeds, including as secondary to hypertension, Agent Orange, or diabetes mellitus.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension as secondary to diabetes mellitus, type II and for an acquired psychiatric disorder. The Veteran's hypertension was found to be related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, but the acquired psychiatric disorder is not linked to his active service.