Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claims for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and entitlement to Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) due to insufficient evidence regarding herbicide exposure during the Veteran's service at Fort Gordon.

The Board granted an earlier effective date of July 23, 2018, for the grant of service connection for hypertension based on a pending claim and continuous pursuit since that date.

The Board granted service connection for GERD and increased ratings for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy. The appeal for a compensable initial rating for COPD and scar of the left shoulder was withdrawn. Other appeals were denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating for coronary artery disease and hypertension, and remanded the claim for service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The Board denied higher ratings for prostate cancer, ED, and hypertension but granted a 10 percent initial rating for hypertension. Service connection was denied for lung cancer, bladder cancer, hyperglycemia, and COPD.

The Board granted an earlier effective date of July 14, 2021 for service connection for chronic kidney disease but denied increased ratings and other claims.

The Board granted an earlier effective date and a higher rating of 100 percent for the Veteran's service-connected MDD, recurrent - severe with anxious distress and alcohol use disorder, effective November 2, 2020. The claims for OSA, ED, hypertension, and migraine headaches were remanded.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, peripheral vestibular disorder, bilateral hearing loss, cardiovascular disease, including hypertension, and bilateral cataracts. However, it granted a 10 percent disability rating for TBI and a 70 percent disability rating for other specified trauma and stressor related disorder, effective from August 21, 2020.

The Board granted service connection for hypertension, a residual scar on the left ankle, and chronic lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis and degenerative disc disease, as well as secondary conditions including sciatica and major depressive disorder. The decision also denied service connection for left and right hip arthritis.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for left shoulder pain, right shoulder pain, low back pain, prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, and high blood pressure to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, heart disease, hypertension, depression, and reactive airway disease.

The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, right and left lower extremity disabilities, nausea, hypertension, loss of smell, loss of taste, kidney disorder, prostatic hypertrophy, prostate cancer, post cranial nodes, boils on the shoulders, armpits, groin, and neck, gynecomastia, and an ear tumor. The claims were denied as there was no evidence linking these conditions to service or toxic exposure at Camp Lejeune.

The Board granted a 30 percent rating for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and a 40 percent rating for fibromyalgia, but denied service connection for hypertension, diverticulitis, and GERD.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hypertensive retinopathy as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected hypertension and remanded claims for an initial compensable rating for an unspecified eating disorder, a rating in excess of 10 percent for hypertension, and a TDIU (excluding period from July 27, 2005 to May 28, 2024 when the Veteran was incarcerated).

The Board denied a disability rating in excess of 60 percent for asbestosis since August 28, 2019, and an initial 60 percent rating prior to January 7, 2020, for hypertension with renal disease. However, the Board granted a 80 percent rating for hypertension with renal disease since January 7, 2020.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's active service or in-service toxic exposure risk activity (TERA).

The Board denied service connection for heart disability, hypertension, hypothyroidism, pre-diabetes, and neuropathy of the lower extremities as there was no evidence to support a link between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.

The Board denied service connection for high cholesterol, depression, and high blood pressure. However, it granted a higher rating of 60 percent for the veteran's right knee residuals, status post total knee replacement, effective from June 14, 2022.

The Board remands the claim for service connection of hypertension, to include as secondary to a service-connected lumbar strain, for further development and consideration.

The Board denied ratings in excess of 60 percent for prostate cancer, 30 percent for PTSD, and noncompensable ratings for hypertension and chronic kidney disease. However, TDIU was granted due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.