Hypertension (high blood pressure) Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and assigned a 10 percent rating for the deviated nasal septum effective from November 8, 2001.

The veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and development of his treatment records.

The veteran is seeking service connection for hypertension as secondary to his service-connected PTSD. The Board has decided that a VA examination and opinion are needed to determine the nature, extent, and etiology of the veteran's hypertension.

The Board found no evidence linking the veteran's hypertension, cardiomyopathy, and sleep apnea to his service-connected sarcoidosis. The claims were denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and heart murmur, finding no evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The claim of reopening a previously denied back injury was also denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of his death, finding no evidence linking any current disabilities to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA examinations and addressing service connection claims.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for hypertension and granted it, finding that there is sufficient evidence to support a link between the veteran's hypertension and his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a bilateral ankle condition or a bilateral knee condition that was present in service, manifested within one year of service separation, or is otherwise related to service. The claim for hypertension remains pending as it requires further development prior to adjudication.

The Board has reopened the veteran's service connection claims for rheumatoid arthritis, degenerative arthritis, gout, and hypertension. The new evidence received since the last final decision supports these claims.

The Board has determined that the veteran's heart disease, liver disability, and hypertension were not incurred in or aggravated by service. The veteran does not currently have PTSD.

The Board found that the appellant did not submit new and material evidence to reopen her claim of service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, resulting in a denial.

The Board has determined that separate ratings are warranted for the veteran's essential hypertension and premature ventricular contractions, as previously considered as a single disability. The claim for an increased rating for essential hypertension is denied.

The veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a back injury and hypertension, as well as increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and surgical residuals of excision of the lower lip lesion, were denied. The claim for service connection for residuals of a back injury was reopened based on new evidence, but it does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the underlying claim.

The Board has determined that the veteran's coronary artery disease and hypertension are not related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, and thus cannot be granted service connection on a secondary basis. The claim is denied.

The Board has determined that the appeal is inextricably intertwined and requires additional development, including obtaining medical opinions and providing notice of relevant rating criteria.

The veteran's appeal for increased evaluations and a total disability rating based on unemployability due to service-connected disabilities was denied. The left knee disorder is rated as 30 percent disabling, hypertension as 10 percent disabling, and coronary atherosclerosis as noncompensable.

The veteran's claims for service connection for right arm/elbow, right leg, and right hip disabilities are denied. The cervical spine, lumbar spine, and right shoulder disabilities were established prior to service and are not considered incurred in or aggravated by service. Service connection is granted for the skin disability and right knee disability as they were established prior to service. Hypertension was not present during service or within one year of separation.

The Board finds that the veteran's Graves' disease, which manifested during his service and is now diagnosed, was incurred in service. The benefit of doubt has been resolved in favor of the veteran.

The Board has ordered a remand due to the need for additional VA medical records and an examination, as well as scheduling of the veteran's requested VA compensation and pension examination.