Hypertension (high blood pressure) Board decisions

The Board has dismissed the veteran's appeals for service connection on all issues except peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, which is granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional examination and development of evidence related to service connection for hypertension and coronary heart disease.

The Board has ordered the case remanded due to deficiencies in VCAA notice and for consideration of a new argument regarding aggravation by service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for sinusitis, heart disease and hypertension, and multiple joint disabilities including a bilateral knee disability, rheumatoid arthritis of multiple joints, osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine, and a right ankle disability. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated during service.

The veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and related cardiovascular disabilities is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine if these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board found that the veteran's hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by service and may not be presumed to have been so incurred. The claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is addressed in the REMAND portion of the decision.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and thus denied his claim for service connection for the cause of death.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed conditions, including peptic ulcer disease, diabetes, hypertension, heart attack, blisters and hives, upper and lower back problems, and breathing problems (COPD and sleep apnea), are not related to his active service or exposure to mustard gas. As such, these claims have been denied.

The veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, hypertension at noncompensable, and bilateral hearing loss at noncompensable. The initial evaluations for all conditions are granted.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed conditions, including cervical spine disability, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, sleep apnea, sarcoidosis, dizziness and fainting spells, pain in joints, leg cramps, anxiety and stress, and shortness of breath, were not incurred or aggravated by service. The decision is based on a finding that the current diagnoses are not related to service.

The Board found that the veteran's hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service and is not proximately due to or the result of any service-connected disability, including his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The veteran is seeking compensation benefits under the provisions of 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for residuals of a cerebrovascular accident (CVA) with aphasia and right hemiparesis and hypertension, as a result of VA medical treatment. The Board has determined that further examination and development are needed to determine if the proximate cause of these residuals was VA fault from the September and October 1998 surgeries.

The appellant has withdrawn his appeal for a compensable rating for hypertension, and the Board has dismissed the case as there are no remaining issues to be decided.

The Board found that the veteran's hypertension did not have its onset in service or is otherwise related to his military service. The right ankle disorder was also denied as it was determined to be due to his service-connected valvular heart disease.

The veteran's PTSD is rated at 100 percent effective May 22, 2002. The claim for service connection of hypertension as secondary to PTSD has been reopened.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) due to new evidence submitted since the 1997 decision. The hypertension claim remains denied as no new and material evidence was presented.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected PTSD may have contributed to his development of coronary artery disease and hypertension, but could not determine if this was due to a direct cause or aggravation. The decision is mixed as it grants part of the claim for secondary service connection.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain missing records and verify the veteran's claimed stressors. The claims for service connection will be reconsidered based on the new information.

The Board is requesting additional medical opinion to determine if the veteran's hypertension, which he was treated for since at least March 1991, could be related to his military service and whether it contributed to his fatal basilar artery thrombosis.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, hypertension, and residuals of a cerebrovascular accident. The evidence does not support these claims as there is no medical diagnosis linking any of these conditions to his active duty service.