The Board denied increased evaluations for hypertensive cardiovascular disease with hypertension, scars of the occipital area of the scalp, and scars of the left elbow. The veteran's hypertension was rated as 10 percent prior to July 1996 and 30 percent thereafter.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not provide a clear assessment of the veteran's workload in METs due to uncontrolled blood pressure, which affected the determination of his disability rating under the revised criteria for cardiovascular disorders.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertensive cardiovascular disease with hypertension, scar of the occipital area of the scalp, scars of the left elbow
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 10, 2000
- Citation
- 0012326
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0012326.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's income exceeded the Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR) as of January 1, 2014 and his non-service-connected pension benefits were terminated.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his service-connected left ulnar neuropathy and scars of the left elbow was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating than what was currently assigned.
- Whole decision: Denied
The veteran's claims for increased ratings for pterygium, fracture and residuals of a fracture of the left radius and ulna, and scars of the left elbow were denied as there is no evidence showing impairment warranting higher evaluations under VA rating criteria.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding that the service-connected hypertensive cardiovascular disease with hypertension did not contribute substantially or materially to the cause of his death.
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