Hypertension (high blood pressure) Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension is being remanded due to the need to obtain additional VA treatment records from the Chicago VAMC.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims of service connection for high blood pressure and chronic prostatitis due to a need for further development, including obtaining medical records from Dr. K.W. and scheduling VA examinations.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for recognition as a child of the Veteran for purposes of receiving VA benefits due to lack of evidence showing she was permanently incapable of self-support prior to age 18.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to July [redacted], 2008 for nonservice-connected disability pension benefits, finding that he did not meet the non-age related criteria for non-service connected pension prior to his 65th birthday.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including verifying all periods of active duty and inactive duty training with the Puerto Rico National Guard, conducting VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of the appellant's current back, right knee, left knee, cardiovascular (hypertension), and psychiatric disorders, and providing appropriate notice on secondary service connection.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II is presumed to have been incurred during active military service. The Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for the issues of entitlement to service connection for PTSD, peripheral vascular disease of the right and left lower extremities, and cardiovascular disease prior to the Board's decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is not service connected, as there is no evidence of its onset during or immediately after his military service and it was first diagnosed many years later. The Board also found that diabetes mellitus did not cause or aggravate the hypertension.

The Veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 20 percent disabling for diabetes mellitus (DM) and a separate compensable evaluation for hypertension associated with DM was denied. The evidence did not support the need for additional evaluations.

The Board has denied reopening the claim of service connection for hypertension. The Veteran's claim is being remanded to obtain updated VA treatment records and to seek verification of his claimed stressors related to his PTSD.

The Board is remanding the veteran's claims to the RO for further development and consideration due to unclear dates of service, need for medical nexus opinions regarding the etiology of her hypertension and circulatory disorder, and potential need for additional records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension and erectile dysfunction are not related to his service or any aspect thereof, but have been caused by his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The claim for service connection is granted.

The appellant is not eligible for non-service-connected pension benefits due to a lack of service as an individual or member of a group considered to have performed active military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's thyroid disorder, cardiovascular disorder, chronic liver disorder, and hypertension were all reasonably shown to have had their onset during a period of active duty training (ADT). The claims for service connection are granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for further evaluation of his service-connected lumbar spine disability and consideration of his claim for a total rating based on individual unemployability. The issue of an increased evaluation for the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability is inextricably intertwined with the issue of his entitlement to a total rating for compensation purposes.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a skin disorder and hypertension were denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities or in-service incurrence, and the gap between separation from service and diagnosis of hypertension is significant.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is not service-connected and his diabetes mellitus does not warrant a rating in excess of 20 percent.

The Veteran's appeal was denied because he did not file a timely notice of disagreement regarding the June 2003 rating decision that denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, nervous condition, an eye disability, and breathing difficulty.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and records review. The issues include service connection for hypertension, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, and PTSD.