Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2024

The Veteran's right knee disability is denied as there is no current diagnosis. The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current cervical spine, lumbar spine, left upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome, right upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome, or left upper extremity radiculopathy disability. Hypertension and an acquired psychological disorder are diagnosed but the Board cannot establish service connection due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, prostate cancer, and erectile dysfunction are remanded due to inadequate development of his potential exposure to herbicide agents during his service in Korea.

The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and remanded the issue of secondary service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder due to health issues. The Veteran's hypertension is not related to his active duty service, and a VA examination is needed to determine if any acquired psychiatric disorders are caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability evaluations were denied. The Veteran was awarded a 10% evaluation for hypertension and a 30% evaluation for cervical myositis with cervical spine spondylosis, but the maximum benefits are not granted.

The Veteran's hypertension is currently rated at 40 percent, but the Board finds that additional evidence from private hospital admissions in 2014 and 2019 should be obtained to determine if a higher rating or TDIU is warranted.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of an etiology opinion regarding the Veteran's hypertension. The Veteran is asked to provide evidence or undergo examination to determine if his hypertension is related to service.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for service-connected hypertension is denied because his blood pressure readings do not meet the criteria for a 10 percent evaluation or higher at any point during the appeal period.

The Veteran's hypertension was not diagnosed during the appeal period, and there is no evidence of a current disability.,The Veteran's left lower extremity nerve disorder and right knee disorder were not diagnosed during the appeal period, and there is no evidence of a current disability.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by his representative, and the Board is dismissing the appeal for the issues of entitlement to service connection for peripheral neuropathy right lower extremity, hypertension, and bilateral kidneys, as well as an initial increased rating for migraines.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for prediabetes, high cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia), and high blood pressure have been denied as there is no evidence of a diagnosed disability.,Service connection for hypervascular lesions within the liver, erectile dysfunction, and infertility has also been denied. The Board found that these conditions are not related to service or any service-connected disabilities.,The Veteran's varicosities in his left calf have been considered as potentially contributing to his current hypervascular lesions within the liver.

The Veteran's right knee residual scars, diabetes mellitus, type II, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction are all granted as secondary to his service-connected right knee injury.

The claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death has already been granted in an April 2021 decision, and is a greater benefit than DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 or 38 U.S.C. § 1318. The claim for DIC is therefore dismissed as moot.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for erectile dysfunction and hypertension has been dismissed due to the appellant requesting to withdraw his appeal.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including right and left hand tremors, prostate disorder, status post precancerous lymphoma removal, hypertension, and skin cancers. The reasons include potential exposure to Agent Orange during active duty in Vietnam.

The Veteran's hypertension has been rated at a 10 percent since August 10, 2022. The Board found that the evidence showed systolic pressure predominantly 160 or more during the appeal period, which meets the criteria for a 10 percent rating under DC 7101.

The Veteran's claims for hypertension, hypothyroidism, allergic rhinitis, COPD with asthma and pulmonary hypertension, tinnitus, and obesity have been granted effective dates based on the PACT Act. Effective dates are set according to the date of diagnosis or receipt of claim.

The Veteran's prostate cancer claim is dismissed as the AOJ has already granted service connection for this condition.,Service connection is granted for migraine headaches, with a finding that these conditions began during active-duty service and are related to motion exposure aboard ships.

The Board has granted service connection for insomnia disorder as secondary to service-connected tinnitus, but the claims of service connection for depression and anxiety are remanded due to a lack of evidence at the time of the November 2022 rating decision. The claim of service connection for hypertension is also remanded.

The Veteran's hypertension is not rated compensably due to blood pressure readings consistently below the threshold for a higher rating.,The Veteran's cirrhosis of liver from non-alcoholic liver disease does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating based on symptoms and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score.,The Veteran's diabetic retinopathy is rated as noncompensably disabling due to visual acuity that is 20/40 in one eye without other significant impairment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings for various conditions, including hypertension, hyperlipidemia, cardiac heart condition, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, diabetic renal dysfunction, diabetic retinopathy, and erectile dysfunction, were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for hypertension or service connection for hyperlipidemia.