Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2022

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance and due to being housebound was denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for SMC at either the aid and attendance or housebound rate, as he does not have a single service-connected disability rated 100 percent disabling, is not permanently bedridden or housebound by reason of his service-connected disabilities, and does not require regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected conditions.

The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and remanded the issue of service connection for a heart disorder due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient clarification on whether the Veteran's hypertension clearly and unmistakably preexisted service.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeal because he did not file a timely appeal of the May 2022 rating decision that granted service connection for hypertension with an effective date of January 31, 2013.

The Veteran's service connection for hypertension and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder) is granted due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during his active duty at Udorn RTAFB in Thailand. The effective date of the grant remains pending as it was not specified.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran. The VA needs to review this new evidence and issue a supplemental statement of the case.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for increased ratings and service connection for bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, sleep apnea, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The Board dismissed the appeal due to the withdrawal.

The Board has granted service connection for transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder. The decision also acknowledges that hypertension is a presumptive disability associated with herbicide exposure, but does not address it further.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's hypertension and his service-connected PTSD. The Veteran is seeking service connection for hypertension as secondary to PTSD.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not require the regular aid and attendance of another person at any point during the period on appeal, thus his claim for SMC based on need for regular aid and attendance is denied.

The Veteran's initial rating for depressive disorder is denied, and a 20 percent disability rating for hypertension is granted. The TDIU claim has been rendered moot due to the existing 100 percent schedular rating for chronic pulmonary asbestosis with obstructive pulmonary disease.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bladder cancer and hypertension were denied in March 2017, August 2017, and November 2018. The Veteran did not appeal these decisions within the one-year period allowed by law.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating greater than 60 percent for IgA nephropathy with nephrosclerosis and hypertension has been withdrawn.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease (CAD), and hypertension due to herbicide agent exposure are granted. Service connection is also granted for a cerebrovascular accident secondary to service-connected diabetes.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's cause of death, including whether his psychiatric disability contributed to his death.

The Veteran's prostate cancer, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction are granted service connection due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during his service in Thailand.,Voiding dysfunction is remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development, including verifying his exposure to herbicide agents and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) while stationed at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for residuals of squamous cell carcinoma is denied.,Service connection for hypertension, Barrett's esophagus, and lumbar spinal stenosis (back disability) are remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, left hip disability, and a rating in excess of 0 percent for migraine headache. The evidence does not support finding that these conditions are related to service or caused by any service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted on a presumptive basis due to Agent Orange exposure, but the secondary service connection for diabetes mellitus and hypertension needs further development.