Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including a psychiatric disability and secondary to tinnitus, heart condition, hypertension, sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, and alcohol abuse due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Board granted an initial disability rating of 10 percent for the soft tissue mass of the forehead and remanded the other claims for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) as his service-connected disabilities did not meet the schedular criteria and there was insufficient evidence to support a reasonable possibility that he was unemployable due to those conditions.

The Board denied service connection for a neck condition and hypertension, but granted a 10 percent rating for dry eye syndrome, right eye.

The Board granted a 10 percent initial rating for the Veteran's service-connected hypertension, finding that it is reasonably shown that his disability picture more nearly approximates the criteria for a 10 percent rating under DC 7101.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction to obtain a medical opinion addressing secondary service connection and toxic exposure under the PACT Act.

The Board remands the claims for SMC based on the need for aid and attendance of another and being housebound prior to February 4, 2013, as additional development is needed regarding the severity of the Veteran's PTSD.

The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death and no request for substitution has been ruled on by the VA.

The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, attributing it to in-service exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board granted service connection for hypertension under the PACT Act and remanded other claims related to kidney and prostate disorders.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including a neck condition, atypical chest pain with arrhythmias, GERD, hypertension, and sleep apnea, due to inadequate VA examinations.

The Board denied a compensable disability rating for hypertension prior to February 15, 2023, as the evidence did not show diastolic pressure predominantly 100 or more, or systolic pressure predominantly 160 or more.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including obstructive sleep apnea, heart disability, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy, due to inadequate medical opinions regarding obesity as an intermediate step between the Veteran's service-connected TBI with nose fracture and these claimed conditions.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, diabetic nephropathy, voiding dysfunction (claimed as bladder), hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, and hypertensive heart disease with supraventricular arrhythmia to correct an error by the AOJ in satisfying its duty to assist under 38 U.S.C. § 5103A.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date and a higher initial disability rating for hypertension, as there was no evidence of service connection prior to August 10, 2022, and his blood pressure readings did not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating.

The Board denied entitlement to an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for gastrointestinal problems and service connection for rheumatoid arthritis of the back. The claims for other conditions were remanded due to inadequate VA examinations.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for HIV, peptic ulcer disease/GERD, type II diabetes mellitus, and hypertension, but granted an effective date of December 18, 2020, for the grants of service connection for peripheral neuropathy in both upper and lower extremities.

The Board granted service connection for residuals of prostate cancer and hypertension, both presumed to be due to in-service herbicide agent exposure.

The appeal for service connection for diabetes mellitus type 2 and entitlement to a compensable rating for hypertension was dismissed due to untimely filing of the notice of disagreement.

The appeal for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for hypertension is dismissed, and several issues related to service connection are remanded for further development.