Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2025

The Board denied a compensable rating for hypertension and remanded the issues of increased ratings for left knee, right knee, and bilateral hearing loss disabilities due to inadequate medical evidence.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded the remaining issues for further development.

The Board denied increased ratings for irritable bowel syndrome, neurogenic bladder, and sensory neuropathy of the lower extremities but granted a separate 20 percent rating for sciatic radiculopathy. The claims for service connection for asthma, glaucoma, and hypertension were also denied.

The Board remands the claims for a recurrent skin disability, sleep disability, respiratory disability, esophageal disability, left ankle disability, gastrointestinal disability, hypertension, and lumbar spine disability to the Agency of Original Jurisdiction (AOJ) for further development.

The Board granted service connection for prostate cancer and hypertension based on the evidence showing in-service exposures to non-tactical herbicides, which are linked to these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, left ear otitis, and seborrheic keratosis as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board granted service connection for common variable immunoglobulin deficiency as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected sarcoidosis/pulmonary fibrosis (interstitial lung disease) with pulmonary hypertension, but remanded the claim for further development regarding pulmonary hypertension.

The Board denied increased ratings for COPD with OSA, headaches, and hypertension, but granted a separate 20 percent rating for meniscal tear of the left knee from August 27, 2019.

The Board granted service connection for major depressive disorder with unspecified anxiety disorder, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), migraines, hypertension, cardiomyopathy, and Hashimoto's disease, all to include as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder with unspecified anxiety disorder. The Board also remanded several other claims for further development.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for chronic headaches, GERD, and hypertension, secondary to service-connected PTSD, due to deficiencies in the prior VA examination opinions.

The Board remands the claims for service connection due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, requiring VA to obtain additional private medical records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or event to justify a grant of service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial, compensable rating for service-connected hypertension as the evidence did not support a 10 percent rating under DC 7101.

The Board granted an effective date for TDIU and SMC from September 1, 2017, but denied earlier effective dates for service connection of various conditions. It also granted a 10% rating for GERD starting July 5, 2016, and other ratings as detailed.

The Board remands the claims for further development and to correct a pre-decisional error of the duty to assist.

The Board granted a 70 percent rating for PTSD and denied an increased rating for hearing loss, while granting presumptive service connection for hypertension.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for obesity, an earlier effective date for hypertension, and a higher initial rating for hypertension. The right knee disability claim was remanded.

The Board denied readjudication of the Veteran's claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for an anxiety condition, a seizure disorder, and high blood pressure as there was no new and relevant evidence submitted.

The appeal for service connection for tinnitus is dismissed as moot. The claims for service connection for asthma, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and headaches were denied. An earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for hypertension was also denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings, finding that the earliest possible effective date was provided.