Hypertension (high blood pressure) Board decisions

The veteran's low back fusion with instrumentation is rated at 60 percent, and his hypertension with nephrosclerosis since June 13, 2003 is also rated at 60 percent. The veteran does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under either set of criteria.

The veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical evidence regarding whether the veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus caused or aggravated his hypertension. The veteran must be provided with a VA examination to determine the etiology of his hypertension and specifically address whether it was caused by or aggravated by any service-connected disabilities.

The Board has denied the claim of service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding that there is no competent medical evidence linking the fatal cardiac arrest and essential hypertension to service or a service-connected disability.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to address the veteran's claims for service connection due to conflicting medical opinions regarding PTSD, potential need for additional evidence from SSA, and incomplete notification of the claimant.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of review of service medical records and other procedural issues.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and coronary artery disease secondary to hypertension, finding no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and hypertension were denied as there was no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicides or other causative factors.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and hearing loss disability, but denied service connection for acne/cyst condition (claimed as chloracne).

The Board found that it was not factually ascertainable prior to November 16, 2004 that the veteran was permanently and totally disabled due to his service-connected conditions. Therefore, the effective date for non-service-connected disability pension cannot be earlier than November 16, 2004.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension was not incurred in service or during the initial post-service year, and there is no competent medical evidence linking it to his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The claim for service connection for hypertension is therefore denied.

The Board found that hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by the first period of active duty, and service connection for hypertension may not be presumed to have been incurred in or aggravated by such service. Elevated blood pressure readings pre-existed the second period of active duty and were not aggravated by that service. The veteran's hypertension is otherwise unrelated to a disease, injury, or event of active service origin.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension was not incurred during or aggravated by active duty, but his residuals of renal cell carcinoma are service-connected.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for diabetes mellitus, degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, and hypertension. The evidence did not show that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by active service.

The veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than July 14, 2004 for a 100 percent rating for arteriosclerotic heart disease and a separate 10 percent rating for hypertension was denied as there is no evidence of an increase in disability within the year prior to July 14, 2004.

The Board found that hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and denied the claim. The issue of entitlement to service connection for schizophrenia remains pending.

The veteran's claims for service connection on the merits are being remanded due to new and material evidence grounds. The RO must ensure all notification and development actions required by VCAA are fully satisfied, including providing notice consistent with Dingess/Hartman v. Nicholson.

The veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, PTSD, and diabetes mellitus were denied. The ratings for PTSD prior to July 24, 2002, and for diabetes mellitus from March 1, 2004 onwards, were also not granted.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for bipolar disorder, low back pain with radiation to left hip and leg, and hypertension were denied. The effective dates for the awards of 50 percent evaluations for bipolar disorder and service connection for hypertension were granted as of September 21, 1993. The claim for TDIU was also denied.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, hypertension (secondary to diabetes mellitus), right foot injury, right ankle injury, right hip injury, bilateral hearing loss, and bilateral vision loss.