Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2024

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, finding that the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during his service in Korea brought him to the demilitarized zone (DMZ) and is presumed. The decision also finds that hypertension may be related to this exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertensive heart disease as secondary to hypertension, but denied the claim for an increased rating of hypertension. The decision is mixed as it grants one issue and denies another.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for heart condition, hypertension, BPH, thyroid condition, and sleep apnea due to potential toxic exposure risk activity (TERA).

The Veteran's chronic kidney disease with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and hypertension (post-myocardial infarction, coronary artery bypass graft) is rated at 100 percent effective May 9, 2019. The Veteran's diabetic neuropathy of the left upper extremity, right upper extremity, left lower extremity (femoral), and right lower extremity (sciatic) are all rated as 30 percent each. His left medial knee scar, anterior chest scar, and painful scars are all rated as non-compensable. The Veteran's service connection for chronic kidney disease with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and hypertension is granted effective May 9, 2019.

The Veteran's appeal of the TDIU claim was dismissed because the VA Form 10182 filed in January 2023 is untimely and did not appeal a rating decision within one year.

Service connection for hypertension is granted effective August 10, 2022. Service connection for PTSD remains pending and was granted with a rating of 70 percent from November 12, 2018.,An earlier effective date of November 12, 2018 for the 70 percent rating for PTSD is granted.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for initial compensable disability rating for hypertension and service connection for various conditions due to his death, as the AOJ has not made a formal substitution determination in the matter.

The Veteran's appeal regarding the timeliness of a VA Form 10182 is dismissed because her Motion for Extension of Time was granted, and she submitted a timely Notice of Disagreement.

The Veteran's hypertension, which is service-connected due to herbicide exposure under the PACT Act, has not met the criteria for a compensable rating. The Board denied an increased rating as his blood pressure readings have consistently been below the threshold required for a higher rating.

Your claims for service connection for hypertension and diabetes mellitus, type II have been fully granted as your benefits are now in full.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and tuberculosis are being remanded due to inadequate medical opinions. The claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for anxiety disorder is also being remanded.

The Veteran's headaches and hypertension are found to be secondary to his service-connected sleep apnea. The Veteran's bruxism is remanded for further evaluation as it may be related to PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease is granted due to exposure to herbicide agents during his service at a Royal Thai Air Force Base (RTAFB).,The Veteran's hypertension, diagnosed prior to the grant of presumptive service connection under the PACT Act, is also granted on this basis.

The Veteran's TDIU and DEA benefits were granted effective February 10, 2020, due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's hypertension is presumed to be related to his exposure to herbicide agents during service in the Republic of Vietnam, and thus he is granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to insufficient development and examination. The Board will consider additional evidence, including toxic exposure risk activity.

The Veteran's cause of death, high grade retroperitoneal liposarcoma with contributing conditions of diabetes mellitus and hypertension, is found to be service-connected. The Board vacated the previous decision denying this claim due to an administrative error.

The appeal as to the issues of entitlement to compensable ratings for erectile dysfunction, hypertension, pheochromocytoma, laparotomy incision scars, and left adrenalectomy scars; and entitlement to service connection for shortness of breath, 'tired all the time,' and 'can't sleep' is dismissed. The appeal as to the issue of entitlement to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, secondary to hypertension, is remanded.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the lack of recent evaluations for his heart condition, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension. The RO should order new examinations to assess these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for hypertension is denied. The effective date will be set at August 10, 2022, as this is when entitlement arose due to the enactment of the PACT Act on that date.