Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2024

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension but has remanded the issue of service connection for sleep apnea.

The Board is remanding the claims of service connection for lower back pain conditions, upper back pain conditions, right and left upper extremity radiculopathy, heart condition, and hypertension due to duty-to-assist errors. The Veteran's hearing loss claim remains denied.

The appeal with respect to service connection for chest pains and increased rating for sarcoidosis is dismissed. The appeal with respect to erectile dysfunction and hypertension is remanded.

The Board has remanded several issues for further development, including verifying the Veteran's in-service exposure to herbicide agents and obtaining additional logbooks from his service on the USS Hornet. The claims of entitlement to service connection for various conditions are now pending.

The Veteran's hypertension is rated at a 10 percent evaluation, considering the continuous use of medication to control his condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes, hypertension, and an increased rating for right thigh scars have been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of these claims.

The Veteran's hypertension and bilateral hearing loss claims are remanded due to incomplete service records. The decision on the rating for hypertension remains denied.

The Veteran's death was attributed to multiple blunt force injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident, not related to his service-connected conditions. The Board found no evidence linking the cause of death to active duty or service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's hypertension is rated at a 10 percent disability rating, effective August 10, 2022.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for hypertension was denied by the Board, as his current level of disability does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under VA's Rating Schedule.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error and will consider whether the Veteran's hypertension is related to service, including his in-service exposure.

The Veteran's hypertension is not shown to meet the criteria for a compensable rating, as his blood pressure readings have not consistently been predominantly 160 or more in systolic or 100 or more in diastolic. The claim for a compensable rating for hypertension is denied.

The Veteran's initial maximum schedular rating of 10 percent for status post bunionectomy, right foot, is granted. Other service-connected conditions are not rated higher.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of hypertension, and the Board dismissed it.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including rescanning illegible service treatment records and making a clear determination regarding exposure basis.

The Veteran's hypertension is presumed to be due to herbicide agent exposure, and his end-stage renal disease is secondary to his service-connected hypertension. The claim for direct service connection for hypertension remains pending and requires further development.

The Board has received a request for withdrawal of the appeal regarding diabetes and high blood pressure claims. As a result, the appeal is dismissed.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes and hypertension, both claimed as due to herbicide exposure, are being remanded due to inconsistencies in the evidence regarding alleged herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD with sleep disorder, bilateral glaucoma, tinnitus, and foot disability, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted the TDIU claim.

The Veteran's hypertension is proximately made worse by his service-connected low back condition, and the Board has granted service connection for this secondary relationship.