Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2023

The Veteran's hypertension is granted on a presumptive basis due to the PACT Act. The claims for renal cell carcinoma and chronic kidney disease are remanded as new evidence has been submitted, but further development is needed.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for additional development. The Veteran's hearing loss claim is denied as there is no current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss. Other claims are also remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues related to service connection and TDIU. The Veteran's claims for bilateral foot disorder, knee disorder, hypertension, and headaches are still pending. The claim for TDIU is being considered under extraschedular criteria.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of PTSD and lumbar spine strain, as well as her claim for service connection for hypertension, are being remanded due to the need for additional development. Her TDIU claim is also being remanded in conjunction with these other claims.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, finding it at least as likely as not caused by in-service herbicide agent exposure. The Veteran's circumstances are similar to those considered by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering & Medicine (NAS) study, which concluded there is sufficient evidence to establish an association between hypertension and herbicide agent exposure.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as service connection due to the PACT Act, which provides a presumption of exposure and subsequent disability.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, is granted based on presumptive service connection under the PACT Act. The Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during his active duty in Guam.,The Veteran's sinusitis is granted as service connection due to the PACT Act, which provides a presumption of exposure and subsequent disability.,Service connection for a skin disorder (claimed as arthritis of the left knee) is remanded.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, hypothyroidism, colon condition, hypertension, and vision loss as the evidence did not establish a nexus to service or any related exposure. The Veteran's conditions were found to be unrelated to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including hypertension, chest pain, bilateral eye disability, liver disability, and headache disorder, require additional development due to missing records from his treatment prior to 2008, inconsistencies in medical opinions regarding his hypertension, and uncertainty about the relationship between his eye conditions and other disabilities. The Veteran's claims are therefore remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The hypertension claim was denied as the evidence did not show diastolic pressure predominantly 100 or more, nor systolic pressure predominantly 160 or more. For the lumbar spine condition, a 50 percent rating is granted due to unfavorable ankylosis of the thoracolumbar spine. The bilateral hearing loss and foot condition claims were also granted with specific ratings. Service connection for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy was established. However, TDIU prior to May 11, 2021, was denied.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for hypertension, a skin condition, a urinary condition, and headaches due to insufficient evidence in the record. The Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents is conceded based on his service in Vietnam.

Service connection for hypertension is granted due to herbicide agent exposure in Vietnam. Other service connection claims are remanded for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and denied the remaining issues. The appellant's tinnitus is rated at its maximum schedular rating, and his hypertension is considered presumptively related to herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for hypothyroidism, COPD, and hypertension due to exposure during active duty. The Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and diabetes mellitus, type II, as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability. The TDIU claim is also granted.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for hypertension and transient ischemic attack (stroke-TIA) due to insufficient development in the previous rating decision.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as service-connected due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during his Vietnam service. The claim for hypotension was not reopened and remains denied.