Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2024

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on hypertension and low back pain has been dismissed due to his death. The Board does not have jurisdiction as the claimant is deceased.

Service connection granted for tinnitus, but denied for bilateral hearing loss, back disability, left lower and right lower extremity sciatica, left upper and right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, and hypertension.,Hearing loss was not shown during service or within one year post-service. Sciatica and peripheral neuropathy were not diagnosed in service or post-service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration, including obtaining outstanding VA treatment records. The appellant's TDIU claim is also considered.

The Board has remanded the case due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, specifically failing to provide an adequate statement of reasons or bases for its decision regarding other theories of service connection. The Veteran is required to be afforded a VA examination and medical etiology opinion addressing direct and secondary service connection for his hypertension prior to August 10, 2022.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension and aortic aneurysm claims require further development as they are intertwined with the service connection for hypertension. The claims will be remanded to allow for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's conditions.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating higher than 10 percent for hypertension, to include a separate rating for hyperlipidemia is denied. The Veteran's service connection claim for ischemic heart disease (coronary artery disease) is granted on the basis of presumed exposure to herbicides.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, hearing loss, knee replacement, tinnitus, and hypertension, have precluded him from securing and maintaining a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension, Chron's disease, erectile dysfunction, and rheumatoid arthritis due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors. Specifically, a remand is needed to determine if the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during service, as well as to provide VA examinations for hypertension, Chron's disease, and erectile dysfunction.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted on a presumptive basis due to herbicide agent exposure under the PACT Act.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and hypertension are all granted as service-connected due to exposure to herbicide agents during his service on the Korat RTAFB. The heart disability claim is remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension has been granted. The Board found that the current diagnosis of hypertension, combined with exposure to herbicide agents and a causal relationship established by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report, meets the criteria for service connection.,Service connection for vertigo disorder was denied as it is not proximately due or aggravated by a service-connected disease or injury. The VA examiner's opinion concluded that the Veteran's vertigo is more likely related to benign paroxysmal positional vertigo rather than his migraines.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for degenerative joint disease of the right shoulder, hypertension, vision disability (claimed as macular degeneration), residual(s) of a left shoulder sprain, and degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine. The Veteran submitted new and relevant evidence that tends to show a more complete picture of his disabilities.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted an increased rating to 70% effective from November 30, 2021. The noncompensable rating for hypertension remains unchanged.,A TDIU was granted with the exception of periods when the Veteran received a 100% disability rating.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a failure to timely file a valid Notice of Disagreement (NOD) with the previous rating decisions.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral pes planus and denied service connection for right ear hearing loss, constipation, and hypertension. The case was remanded for further action on the issue of left ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are considered, and a new examination is required to determine if he requires aid and attendance or is housebound due to his conditions.

The Board has found that additional development is needed to determine the validity of service connection claims for hypertension, a right elbow condition, a neck condition, and a respiratory condition. The Veteran's claims are being remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the onset and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for left shoulder degenerative joint disease and his TDIU claim have both been denied. For the left shoulder, the evidence does not support a higher than 20 percent rating due to limited motion of the arm. For TDIU, the Veteran does not meet the schedular criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinions regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's hypertension, which is related to service-connected coronary artery disease.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of hypertension in service or within one year after separation. The Veteran's current diagnosis of hypertension is not related to his military service.