Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hepatitis C, anxiety disorder, hypertension, skin disability, right knee disability, and left knee disability due to insufficient medical evidence. The Veteran will need to undergo VA examinations to determine the current nature of these conditions and their likely etiology.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart condition, claimed as heart palpitations, is granted. The Board finds additional development is required to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed respiratory and hypertension conditions.

The Veteran's intracranial hypertension with papilledema and retinal hemorrhage (also claimed as bilateral eye disability) is rated at 10 percent, the maximum noncompensable rating. The Board found that the visual field defect has resolved.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed as he withdrew his claims for sleep apnea and alopecia. His claim for chronic sinusitis was granted with a 50% rating, which is the maximum available. The appeals for right foot metatarsalgia, erectile dysfunction, TBI, headaches (migraines), facial scarring of the left eyebrow, and sebaceous cyst removal scar were denied. The appeal for inguinal hernia and hypertension was also dismissed.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of hypertension was dismissed due to his death before the Board could grant a decision.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues with the appellant's address and a need for further examination. The SMP claim is still pending.

The Veteran's hypertension and bilateral hearing loss have been granted service connection due to exposure to herbicide agents during service. The PTSD claim has been remanded for further review.,Service connection for PTSD was denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for reopening the claim.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, diabetes mellitus, type 2, a back and/or cervical spine disorder, hypertension, and a right knee disorder due to various procedural issues.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's conditions are the result of military service.,Service connection is established for hypertension due to its aggravation by service. Service connection is also established for sleep apnea as a direct result of service.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that neither his hypertension nor ischemic heart disease were related to herbicide exposure. The Board also found no evidence linking end stage renal disease to service and concluded that a disability of service origin did not contribute to the Veteran's death.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and bilateral knee and ankle conditions, finding that the Veteran's service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder caused or aggravated these conditions through obesity as an intermediate step. The rating assigned is 10 percent.

The Board has ordered the VA to obtain all relevant treatment records from 1999 to present, including those from Baltimore VAMC in 1999. The case is remanded due to incomplete record retrieval.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted a 10 percent rating, effective August 10, 2022. The claim for an earlier effective date prior to this date due to service connection under the PACT Act is denied.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on the issues of anemia, degenerative disc disease, hypertension, and heart murmur have been withdrawn. The appeal as to these issues is dismissed.,Service connection has been granted for sleep apnea, sinus disability (variously diagnosed as sinusitis and rhinitis), nasoseptal deformity, and right shoulder disability.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as service connected due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam. The Veteran's diabetes mellitus claim is dismissed as the effective date of his grant has already been established.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual employability (TDIU) due to his service-connected disabilities, which include bilateral nephrolithiasis with chronic kidney disease and hypertension, depressive disorder, left clavicle fracture, and tinnitus. The combined rating of 70% meets the criteria for TDIU.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as service connected due to exposure to herbicide agents during his service in Vietnam.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for an initial compensable disability rating for hypertension before the Board could make a decision.

The Veteran's hypertension, which requires continuous medication for control and has a history of diastolic pressure predominantly 100 or more, is granted an initial compensable rating of 10 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension under the PACT Act. The case is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding service connection for hypertension other than under the PACT Act, as well as overactive bladder.