Hypertension (high blood pressure) Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for hypertension, and residuals of cerebrovascular accident with right upper and lower hemiparesis are being remanded due to the need to obtain Social Security Administration records.

The Veteran's service connection claims for a burning sensation of the feet and hypertension have been denied as there is no evidence to support a direct relationship between these conditions and his military service or any related exposure.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, right shoulder pain and right scapula condition, chest pain, bronchitis, influenza with headaches, low back disability, esophoria, nosebleed, and residuals of a foreign object in the eye. The claims were not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board finds that the Veteran's hypertension is not incurred in or aggravated by active service and may not be presumed to have been incurred as a result of exposure to herbicides during service. The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, is not secondary to his hypertension.

The Board has determined that the current medical evidence is insufficient to decide whether the Veteran's hypertension is secondary to his service-connected type II diabetes mellitus. The case is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination and additional medical opinions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and bilateral hearing loss cannot be granted as there is no evidence of a disease or injury in service, and current disability due to such exposure. The claim for tinnitus will be remanded.

The Veteran's claim for a separate compensable evaluation for hypertension is denied as his blood pressure readings do not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation under Diagnostic Code 7101.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sarcoidosis, a lumbar spine disorder, allergies/hay fever, and hypertension. The Veteran's sarcoidosis was not found to be incurred or aggravated by service, and there is no evidence of exposure to any presumptive conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining National Guard service records and VA examinations to determine if current psychiatric conditions or left upper/lower extremity disabilities are related to active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of erectile dysfunction and service connection for various conditions have been denied. The RO also reopened a claim for kidney infections but did not grant the benefit sought.

The Veteran's attempts to establish service connection for various conditions were generally denied by the RO, with some exceptions regarding reopening of a claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder and continued denial of others. The Board noted that new evidence had been received to reopen this specific claim.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for dyspareunia is dismissed as a matter of law because she has already been granted service connection for the residuals of her hysterectomy. The Board finds that the Veteran's dyspareunia is related to her service-connected hysterectomy and therefore, no separate rating can be assigned.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a neurological disorder, peptic ulcers, gastrointestinal disorder other than ulcers, fibromyalgia, and hypertension were all denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of current disabilities related to toxic chemical exposure in service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be service-connected. Tinnitus, hypertension, and disability of the eyes are not service-connected.

The Veteran's hypertension and left eye injury are being remanded for additional development. The thoracolumbar spine disability is also being remanded, but the rating assigned remains pending further examination.

The Board determined that the appellant did not knowingly submit fraudulent evidence, thus forfeiture of her eligibility for VA benefits was not proper. The claim for DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 is denied as there are no service-connected disabilities rated totally disabling at the time of death.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II is not service-connected, and his hypertension does not warrant an increased evaluation.

The Board has granted the Veteran's application to reopen his claims for service connection for PTSD and hypertension. The new evidence received since the final denial of these claims is found to be material, raising a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims.

The Board has ordered additional development due to the need for VA and private medical records that may be relevant to the Veteran's claims.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was granted effective from September 22, 2005. The decision also reopened his previously denied claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder.