Hypertension (high blood pressure) Board decisions

The Board denied the veteran's appeal for service connection of PTSD, found that his hypertension and anxiety claims were not timely filed, and determined that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen his heart condition, anxiety, and hypertension claims.

The veteran's service-connected type II diabetes mellitus is presumed to have been incurred during his active service, and the Board has granted service connection for renal failure, retinopathy, hypertension, congestive heart failure, and peripheral neuropathy as secondary to this condition.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a respiratory disability due to asbestos exposure and hypertension. The decision is based on the lack of evidence showing a current disability related to service, specifically noting that there was no diagnosed asbestos-related disease in service or subsequent to service.

The veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and hypertension are being remanded due to the need for further development regarding his exposure to herbicides or other agents during service.

The Board has granted service connection for depression as secondary to the veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his knee and hypertension conditions. The rating for post-operative residuals of a meniscectomy of the left knee is increased to 10 percent, and the rating for degenerative joint disease of the right knee remains at noncompensable.

The Board found that the veteran's hypertension did not manifest during his period of service or within one year thereafter, and thus denied service connection for hypertension as secondary to type II diabetes mellitus.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of hypertension having its onset during active service, manifesting to a compensable degree within one year of separation from service, or being related to active service. As such, the claim for service connection for hypertension is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including hypertension, epistaxis or nosebleeds, skin disease (fungal infection of the feet), sleeplessness or restlessness, urinary tract infections, a temper condition, and joint pain of the shoulders, fingers, and knees. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in service.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need to obtain and review additional treatment records from Fort Harrison VAMC for the years 1985-1986. The veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and arthritis will be reconsidered.

The veteran is found to be unemployable due to his nonservice-connected disabilities, including hypertension, anxiety disorder, PTSD, arthritis, foot problems, learning disability, and migraine headaches. The Board finds that the combination of these conditions permanently precludes him from engaging in substantially gainful employment.

The Board granted service connection for hypertension and assigned an initial 40 percent rating for hepatitis C. The ratings for right and left knee disabilities remain unchanged.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension is not related to his service, and thus denied this claim. The claims for service connection for multiple brain lesions and headaches, as well as chloracne, are remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for a travel board hearing at the San Juan Regional Office.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluation of low back disorder, service connection for tinnitus, hypertension, and stomach condition were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support an increase in disability rating or service connection for these conditions.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for SMC based on need for aid and attendance or being housebound. The spouse does not qualify for SMC based on her own disability.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and a kidney disability, to include as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus. However, it denied his claim for a compensable rating for erectile dysfunction and deferred consideration of his petition to reopen his claim for service connection for a kidney disability until completion of further development.

The Board has determined that further development is needed, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the veteran's hypertension.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by his active duty service, nor may it be presumed to be incurred in or aggravated by such service. The Board also found no evidence of a link between the veteran's hypertension and his service-connected diabetes mellitus type 2.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings were granted, with the highest rating of 50% for migraines and 20% for right leg stress fracture with arthralgia from September 8, 2003 onwards. The claim for hypertension was not addressed in this decision.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for acne, an ingrown toenail on the left great toe, tinnitus, a left knee disability, hypertension (claimed as high blood pressure), and bilateral hearing loss. The reasons given include lack of current evidence of these conditions.