Hypertension (high blood pressure) Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss, finding it at least as likely as not related to active duty. Service connection for high blood pressure was denied due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran's death was caused by a service-connected disability and whether his alcohol abuse, arteriosclerotic heart disease, hypertension, or transient ischemic attacks were related to any such disability. The VA will obtain relevant medical records and provide an opinion on these issues.

The Board found that the Veteran's current diagnoses of pancreatitis and hypertension are not service connected, as there is no credible evidence linking these conditions to his military service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to be incurred in service, and he is granted service connection for this condition. The Board finds that further development is necessary before it can determine the etiology of his other conditions.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus and PTSD, finding new and material evidence. Service connection is presumed for these conditions due to exposure in Vietnam or Thailand during military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and a need for additional examinations. The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and diabetes mellitus are pending.

The appellant seeks recognition as a helpless child of the Veteran on the basis of permanent incapacity for self-support prior to attaining the age of 18 years. The case is REMANDED due to insufficient evidence regarding his condition at the time of his eighteenth birthday.

The Board denied service connection for heart disease and hypertension, finding that these conditions are not directly related to the Veteran's diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including scheduling a travel board hearing.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches has been reopened, and the evidence now supports this claim.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for flat feet, an acquired psychiatric disorder (major depression with psychosis), and hypertension have also been reopened. The evidence now supports these claims as well.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, finding that there was no evidence showing that his diabetes caused or aggravated his hypertension.

The Veteran's current hypertension was not shown to have onset in service or within one year thereafter, and there is no evidence of a nexus between his active duty service and the development of his condition. The Board finds that service connection for hypertension on a direct basis is denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and examination, including a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current low back disability was caused by a documented injury in service in 1960. The claim of service connection for type 2 diabetes will be developed in accordance with the provisions of the VA Adjudication Procedure Manual, M21-1MR, Part IV, subpart ii.2.C.10.o. Further development is needed to determine if there are other potential causes for the Veteran's current back disability.

The Veteran's TDIU was granted effective September 18, 2006, based on his service-connected heart disease and other disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is not related to service or service-connected diabetes mellitus, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, hypertension, and coronary artery disease. The appeals were not about service connection at all.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to incomplete service treatment records and the need for additional development, including obtaining VA, private, and nursing home records. The right elbow disability claim requires a VA examination.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for his service-connected diabetes mellitus with hypertension and diabetic neuropathy was granted, but the Board found that a separate disability rating of 10 percent is warranted for his hypertension. The diabetes itself remains rated at 20 percent.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and a low back disorder were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of in-service onset or continuity of symptomatology, nor could it be presumed due to exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board has determined that the claims for hypertension and low back disorder must be remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions, as well as their relationship to service-connected disabilities.