Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2022

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a lack of confirmation of his claimed Vietnam service and exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional medical records related to the Veteran's hypertension.

The Veteran's hypertension and cerebral vascular accident (stroke) are granted on a secondary basis to his service-connected diabetes mellitus. Service connection for duodenal ulcer with reflux is granted at a 30 percent rating effective September 27, 2011. The sleep disorder claim is denied.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as service-connected due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam, under the PACT Act of 2022. The claim was previously remanded for an addendum opinion regarding whether his hypertension was related to his service-connected coronary artery disease and ischemic heart disease.

The Veteran's pituitary and adrenal gland conditions are not service-connected as they are secondary to his service-connected diabetes. The Veteran's hypertension, however, is presumed to be related to herbicide agent exposure.,Service connection for the Veteran's pituitary and adrenal gland conditions is denied, while service connection for his hypertension is granted based on presumptive exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding his lumbar spine and cervical spine disabilities, as well as further development of Social Security Administration records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension due to insufficient evidence and a need for further examination.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and medical opinions regarding service connection for arthritis, chronic kidney disease (including due to exposure at Camp Lejeune), and high blood pressure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of its onset during active service or within one year following discharge. The Board also found that the Veteran did not have a diagnosis of hypertension until at least June 24, 2002.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, finding that the condition did not begin during or as a result of military service and there is no evidence linking it to any in-service exposure.

The Board has remanded the issue of entitlement to a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities, as it is unclear whether the Veteran's service-connected conditions alone are sufficient for a TDIU. The case will be referred to the Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error, requiring further examination and opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's hypertension and his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension has been dismissed because the Veteran passed away during the appeal process.

The Board has already granted the claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for chronic kidney disease associated with hypertension in a previous decision, so this appeal is dismissed.

The Board has found the VA Centralized Eligibility and Appeals Team (CEAT) review inadequate to support the decision made, as it did not address whether the Veteran requires personal care services each time he completes one or more activities of daily living (ADLs). The case is remanded for an updated CEAT review.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and effective dates has been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for all issues related to the veteran's service-connected conditions, including valvular heart disease with cardiomyopathy and atrioventricular block, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, implanted cardiac pacemaker and third degree heart, painful scar of the left chest status post pacemaker insertion, and hypertension.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not result in the need for regular aid and attendance of another person, nor does he have a need for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to the need for addendum opinions regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, sleep apnea, and hypertension.

The Board has determined that service connection for hypertension is not warranted as there is no diagnosis of hypertension in the record.,The nature and etiology of the Veteran's low back condition to include degenerative arthritis of the spine with sciatica, and headaches to include tension headaches and as secondary to service connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus (claimed as migraine headaches) are unclear due to insufficient medical evidence. The Veteran must be scheduled for an appropriate VA examination.,The Board has determined that service connection for headaches is not warranted as there is no diagnosis of a chronic condition in the record.