Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2024

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeals.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA medical opinion to determine if the Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone render him bedridden or require regular aid and assistance at any point during the appeal period.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for chronic sinusitis and hypertension due to inadequate VA examination reports. The case will be returned for a new VA examination that includes an adequate opinion and rationale.

The Veteran's appeals for higher ratings, earlier effective dates, and service connection have been dismissed due to the Veteran's attorney indicating withdrawal of all pending appeals.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension is granted, with the presumption of exposure to herbicide agents under the PACT Act. The issue related to a secondary theory of entitlement remains remanded.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including a spine disorder, hypertension, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, and vertigo, as they were not shown to be related to service or any service-connected disability.

The Veteran's sleep apnea began during active service and is granted.,The Veteran has a current acquired psychiatric disorder, to include anxiety, depression, PTSD, and alcohol use disorder related to his in-service stressor. A VA examination is needed to assess whether the Veteran meets the diagnostic criteria for these conditions.

The Veteran's chronic headaches have been rated at a maximum of 50 percent prior to October 27, 2020. The Board finds that the Veteran's symptoms are consistent with very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability.,For the period from October 27, 2020, his chronic headaches do not warrant a disability rating in excess of the maximum 50 percent under DC 8100. The Veteran's erectile dysfunction and hypertension are currently being remanded for further examination.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including for a headache disorder, hypertension, dizziness, chronic fatigue syndrome, sleep apnea, and sleep disturbances. The hearing loss rating issue is also remanded.

The Board has remanded three claims: hypertension, left ankle disability, and bilateral hip disability. The Veteran's hypertension claim is related to his service in the Gulf War, and a VA examination is needed to determine if it was caused by this exposure. For the left ankle and right hip disabilities, a VA examination is required to assess their etiology.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted a 10 percent rating, but his prostate hypertrophy remains at a noncompensable rating. The Board has remanded the issue of assigning a compensable rating for prostate hypertrophy.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted prior to August 10, 2022. Service connection for hepatitis B and a respiratory disorder (claimed as respiratory insufficiency, bronchitis, asthma, sinusitis, and sleep apnea) are denied. An initial rating higher than 60 percent for renal insufficiency is denied prior to March 5, 2020.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations to address the issues of service connection and rating for various conditions, including liver disability, respiratory disability, cardiac condition, GERD, allergic rhinitis, and hypertension.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and will require a VA examination to determine if any acquired psychiatric disorder is related to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded two issues for further development: service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right wrist disability and service connection for hypertension as secondary to his service-connected right wrist disability or major depressive disorder with polysubstance abuse. The claims are being returned for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection, disability ratings, and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for further development including VA medical opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertensive vascular disease and loss of erectile power as due to herbicide agent exposure, but denied service connection for autonomic neuropathy.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for obesity, OSA, DM, hypertension, and bilateral plantar fasciitis due to new and material evidence. The appeals are granted.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection for TBI was denied, and the claim for service connection for hypertension was also denied. The Board found that there was no evidence of a current disability related to service or exposure in Southwest Asia.

The Veteran's claim for service connection to hypertension is denied. The claims for increased ratings of anxiety disorder, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, low back disorder, and right knee disorder are all remanded.