The Board denied service connection for hypertension, finding that it was not incurred or aggravated by active duty service and is not proximately due to a service-connected disability.,The Board also denied service connection for skin cancer (including basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and malignant melanoma), finding that it was not incurred in or aggravated by active duty service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's hypertension is not shown to have been present during service or within one year of separation from service. The VA examiner concluded that the current diagnosis of primary (essential) hypertension is less likely as not related to any incident of military service, including herbicide exposure.,Regarding skin cancer, the Board found no link between the Veteran's skin cancer and active duty service, noting that there was no evidence of chronic skin conditions or abnormalities in service records. The VA examiner concluded that it was at least as likely as not that the Veteran's multiple episodes and types of skin cancer were causally related to sun exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- Hypertension, Skin Cancer (Basal Cell Carcinoma, Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Malignant Melanoma)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 18, 2013
- Citation
- 1329963
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 1329963.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and has remanded the issue of an increased rating for skin condition.
- Granted
The Board has restored the Veteran's 10% rating for hypertension effective December 1, 2025 and denied a rating in excess of 10%. The reduction from 10% to noncompensable was not proper.
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