Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2024

The Veteran's death was not caused by his service-connected disabilities, and the Board is remanding the case for further development to obtain an addendum opinion from a VA oncologist regarding the cause of death.

The Veteran's hypertension has not been shown to meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating under VA regulations, and therefore his claim is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for hepatitis C and remanded the issues of service connection for a kidney disability, hypertension, an acquired psychiatric disability, and secondary polycythemia. The Veteran's claims are being returned to VA for further development.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher evaluation for hypertension was dismissed because the appellant died during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran's hypertension, which required continuous medication for control, met the criteria for a 10 percent disability rating under VA regulations. The Board found that his systolic blood pressure predominantly reached 160 or more during the appeal period, meeting the criteria for a 10 percent rating but not exceeding it.

The appeal for an earlier effective date for service connection of hypertension is denied. The Veteran's initial disability ratings for heart disability are granted, but the appeals for higher initial disability ratings within specific time periods are denied.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a bilateral eye disability, hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to new evidence received after the initial decision. The AOJ is required to verify the Veteran's periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty for training (INACDUTRA) with the Army National Guard.

The Veteran's hypertension is not rated as compensable because his diastolic pressure has never been predominantly 100 or more, and he does not have a history of systolic pressure being predominantly 160 or more. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's appeals for sleep apnea, high blood pressure, and migraines have been withdrawn. The Board has remanded the claims for a disability evaluation in excess of 60 percent for residuals of a crush injury of the C7 vertebra with radiculopathy and TDIU.

The Veteran's hypertension has been granted an initial 10 percent disability rating, effective August 10, 2022. The condition requires continuous medication but does not meet the criteria for a higher rating due to diastolic pressure not being predominantly 110 or more.

The Veteran's hepatitis B was denied an increased rating as it did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and hypertension were also denied initial compensable ratings.

The Board has denied compensable ratings for bladder cancer and hypertension, and service connection for erectile dysfunction. The case is being remanded to obtain a new VA examination.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for service connection of multiple conditions due to the appellant's death.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for left foot tendonitis/arthritis, right foot tendonitis/arthritis, erectile dysfunction, and hypertension. The appeal is dismissed.

The Veteran's death was not caused by his service-connected disabilities, but the Board is remanding for a VA oncologist to provide an opinion on whether his mesothelioma could be causally related to his service or if it contributed substantially and materially to his death.

The Board has found that the Veteran's hypertension is related to service and remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bipolar disorder, hypertension secondary to bipolar disorder, and left knee disability have been granted. The rating for low back strain with degenerative arthritis has been increased from 10% to 20%. Other issues are either denied or remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is unable to self-sustain in the community due to his dementia and other medical conditions, granting a Level 2 stipend in the PCAFC program.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals regarding the October 2020 rating decision, resulting in the dismissal of all pending claims.