Hypertension (high blood pressure) Board decisions

The Board found that the veteran's disabilities do not render him helpless or housebound, and thus he is not entitled to special monthly pension based on aid and attendance/housebound status.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine if the veteran's hypertension is related to his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of service connection for hypertension and determined that it was aggravated during military service. The veteran is now entitled to a 10 percent disability rating for his bilateral hearing loss.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him housebound or in need of regular aid and attendance, as his conditions are manageable with assistance from family members.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board found that the veteran's gastrointestinal disability and organic heart disorder (including hypertension) are not related to service or a service-connected condition, including PTSD. The claims for service connection were denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination to determine if current diabetes mellitus is related to service and for evaluations of hypertension and Osgood-Schlatter's disease of the left knee.

The veteran's single permanent disability (schizophrenic reaction) is rated at 100%. His other disabilities, when combined, are rated at 60%, which does not meet the requirement for special monthly pension based on need for regular aid and attendance or housebound rate.

The veteran's hypertension and PTSD were granted service connection, with the hypertension receiving a 10 percent evaluation initially and an increased to 30 percent effective September 2002. The initial evaluation for PTSD was denied, but it received a 30 percent evaluation effective September 2002.

The veteran was found to be unemployable due to her service-connected disabilities as of November 13, 2000, and the effective date for TDIU is set at August 13, 2001.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including hypertension, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, cervical spondylosis, osteoarthritis of the left knee, right hand disorder, left shoulder impingement, skin rash, diabetes mellitus, sarcoma, and bilateral peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities have been denied. The Board found no evidence to support these claims.

The Board found that the veteran's hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and denied his claim.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating for hypertension, finding that his blood pressure readings did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The veteran's claims for service connection and higher ratings for his disabilities were denied. His keratoconus was found to be a congenital disorder, not compensable. His hypertension did not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The Board also noted that his ankle disorders have resulted in no more than moderate limitation of motion.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for chronic Barrett's esophagus, chronic nasopharyngeal cancer, and chronic hypertension as they are not considered to have originated during active service.

The Board found no evidence of hypertension or right hip disability in service, and the preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for cardiovascular disease, coronary artery disease, and hypertension, finding no evidence of such conditions during or within one year after service. The Board also found that there was no link between these conditions and military service, including exposure to herbicides.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and heart disease as secondary to his service-connected anxiety reaction, as well as his increased ratings for gunshot wound residuals and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities. The denial was based on the veteran's failure to report for scheduled VA examinations.

The veteran's death was due to service-connected hypertension. However, the Board found that he did not meet the criteria for enhanced DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1311 as his disability rating had not been at 100% for a continuous period of eight years prior to his death.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and congestive heart failure, finding no competent evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service.