The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher initial rating and an earlier effective date for his hypertension. The veteran was granted service connection for hypertension in May 2003, but the RO assigned a disability rating of 10 percent.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not show that the veteran's diastolic or systolic blood pressure met the criteria for a higher initial evaluation under Diagnostic Code 7101.
- Claimed conditions
- Osteoarthritis of the left knee, Acquired psychiatric disorder (bipolar disorder)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- October 20, 2008
- Citation
- 0835854
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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0835854.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder (bipolar disorder) based on a finding that it is at least as likely as not that the condition began within one year of his discharge from active service, and may be presumed related to service due to psychotic symptoms.
- Remanded (sent back)
The claims for higher initial ratings for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, osteoarthritis of the right and left knees, and left ankle strain are remanded due to inadequate VA compensation examination reports.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for additional development, including obtaining a new VA examination to address the inadequacies of previous examinations and obtain any relevant private treatment records.
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