Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2025

The Board remands the matter for further development, including obtaining relevant medical records from Kaiser Permanente and the Durham VA Medical Center.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for tinnitus, hypertension, and a sleep disorder due to an incomplete duty-to-assist error.

The Board denied service connection for a tailbone disability and a compensable rating for hypertension, as the evidence did not support the presence of current disabilities or that they were incurred in or aggravated by active military service.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disorder and remanded several other claims, including those for an acquired psychiatric disorder, headache, hypertension, cervical spine, thoracic spine, shin splints, foot disorders, and tinnitus.

The Board granted service connection for hypertension and increased ratings for right lower hemiparesis, status post cerebral hemorrhage, and PTSD. TDIU was also granted.

The Board granted service connection for hypertension, to include as due to herbicide exposure, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.

The Board granted service connection for hypertension, lumbar spine disability (facet arthrosis), and left knee disability (osteoarthritis/degenerative joint disease) based on evidence showing chronic conditions in service with continuity of symptoms since separation.

The Board granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, erectile dysfunction secondary to the service-connected diabetes and hypertension, hypothyroidism, esophageal cancer, and hypertension due to herbicide exposure. The claims for irritable bowel syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea were remanded.

The Board granted a 30 percent rating for GERD and denied service connection for COPD, sinus condition, hypertension, urinary frequency, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board granted a 30 percent rating for bilateral plantar fasciitis with degenerative changes at the interphalangeal joint of the great toe and sesamoid fracture right foot residuals, but denied an initial compensable rating for hypertension and service connection for erectile dysfunction.

The Board denied increased ratings for hypertension, tinnitus, and a left ankle condition. The claims for service connection for headaches, sleep condition, and diabetes mellitus were remanded for further development.

The Board denied an increased rating for posttraumatic stress disorder, but granted a 20% rating for lumbosacral strain and service connection for chronic sinusitis.

The Board granted a 70 percent rating for PTSD and a 30 percent rating for bilateral calcified pleural plaques, while denying increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and hypertension. A TDIU was also granted from September 21, 2023.

The Board granted a 40 percent rating for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy effective September 29, 2023, but denied an increased rating for tinnitus and other issues.

The reduction in the rating of the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus type II from 20 percent to 10 percent effective April 26, 2024 is improper and is void ab initio; therefore, the petition to reverse the reduction and restore the 20 percent rating effective January 31, 2023 is granted. The Veteran's earlier effective date for service connection of hypertension prior to August 10, 2022 is denied.

The Board remands the case for a new VA examination to address whether the Veteran has hypertension and, if so, whether it is related to service.

The Board granted service connection for hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and an acquired psychiatric disability, while dismissing the appeal for obstructive sleep apnea. The Veteran was also granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for cause of death, on a basis other than pursuant to the PACT Act, due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for hypertension and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to the need for a VA examination.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, a low back disability, and hypertension as the evidence did not show these conditions were related to the Veteran's military service.