Hypertension (high blood pressure) Board decisions

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension is proximately due to or the result of his service-connected bipolar disorder, and thus grants secondary service connection for hypertension.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for the cause of her husband's death, nonservice-connected death pension benefits, and accrued benefits due to lack of legal entitlement under the law.

The veteran's claims for service connection were denied, and his claim to reopen a PTSD claim was also denied. The VA determined that the evidence did not meet the criteria for reopening the PTSD claim due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for hypertension, finding that it was not incurred in or aggravated by service, presumed to have been incurred in service, or incurred as a result of a service-connected disability. The evidence did not support a link between post-traumatic stress disorder and an increase in hypertension severity.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating, finding that new evidence did not reopen his claim of hearing loss and that he did not meet criteria for higher ratings for PTSD. The claims were also denied as secondary to post-traumatic stress disorder.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, diabetes mellitus (claimed as secondary to exposure to Agent Orange), right knee disability, and loss of the left eye. The evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and military service.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including skin disorders, migraines, hypertension, eye disorders, neuropathy, tinnitus, temporomandibular joint disorder, and hyperlipidemia, all allegedly due to exposure to Agent Orange. The veteran's PTSD claim was granted with a 30% rating effective February 2, 2004.

The veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and an employment opinion.

The veteran's service-connected left radius and ulna fractures have resulted in ankylosis of the elbow joint, preventing pronation and supination. The RO has granted a 50 percent rating for this condition.

The veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent since September 1, 2004. The RO has granted a higher rating to 70 percent effective from September 1, 2004.,Prior to June 30, 2004, the veteran's PTSD was rated at 30 percent.

The Board found that the veteran's cause of death (congestive heart failure due to coronary artery disease) was not incurred or aggravated in active military service, nor may it be presumed to have been so incurred. The preponderance of evidence is against a finding that any of these conditions are related to his service.

The veteran's hypertension claim was denied, and his SMC based on loss of use of a creative organ claim was also denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to the veteran's request to upgrade his discharge characterization and other procedural issues.

The veteran's death was not caused by or substantially contributed to by a disability incurred in service. The appellant is not entitled to nonservice-connected death pension benefits or accrued benefits.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for his service-connected hypertension, currently rated at 10 percent.

The veteran's increased ratings for herniated nucleus pulposus, lumbar spine and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) were granted. The other conditions remained at noncompensable or zero percent.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, residuals of a stroke, and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for hypertension, finding that it was not caused by or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The issue of whether new and material evidence has been received sufficient to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for a psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, is referred back to the RO.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for skin disorders, hypertension, a respiratory disorder, and a sinus disorder due to exposure to herbicides (Agent Orange) during his service in the Republic of Vietnam. The Board found no evidence of current conditions or a nexus between any claimed conditions and service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction as secondary to his service-connected balanitis xerotica obliterans with urethral stricture (BXO) with US.