Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2025

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for hypertension, as the Veteran's claim was properly assigned an effective date of February 16, 2023.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including voiding dysfunction and gastric ulcer, preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board granted service connection for GERD, Barrett's esophagus, hypertension, and tension headaches as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.

The Board granted a disability rating of 10 percent for hypertension, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.

The Board granted service connection for hypertension and an initial rating of 10 percent, but no higher, for allergic conjunctivitis with dry eye syndrome. The reductions in ratings for irritable bowel syndrome, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, and sciatic radiculopathy were upheld.

The Board remands the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension due to inadequate VA medical opinions.

The claims for service connection for prostate cancer, a pulmonary condition, and hypertension are remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board remands the claims for increased ratings and service connection due to a need for additional medical evidence regarding the qualifications of examiners and the effects of pain medication on the Veteran's disabilities.

The Board remands the claims for an earlier effective date for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and hypertension due to a duty to assist error regarding the appellant's exposure to herbicide agents during service.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for an initial compensable rating for hypertension as there was no evidence of diastolic pressure predominantly 100 or more, or systolic pressure predominantly 160 or more during the appeal period.

The Board denied an initial compensable evaluation for hypertension and the grant of an earlier effective date for service connection for hypertension.

The Board granted service connection for diabetes mellitus and hypertension, but denied a rating in excess of 30 percent for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) beginning February 22, 2023.

The Board granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability from July 30, 2014, but no earlier.

The Board granted service connection for major depressive disorder, Type II diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and tinnitus.

The appeal for service connection for chronic kidney disease, hypertension, and peripheral vascular disease of the right and left lower extremities was dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Board denied a rating greater than 20 percent for diabetes mellitus and a compensable rating for hypertension, but remanded the issues of a rating greater than 50 percent for anxiety disorder and entitlement to individual unemployability.

The Board granted readjudication of the claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, dismissed the appeal for service connection for chronic sinusitis as moot, and denied initial compensable ratings for hypertension and allergic rhinitis.

The Board denied service connection for hypersensitivity pneumonitis and denied increased ratings for diabetes mellitus type II, hypertensive vascular disease, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy associated with diabetes mellitus, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy associated with diabetes mellitus, and coronary artery disease. However, the Board granted an increased rating of 40 percent for both left and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy associated with diabetes mellitus and granted total disability based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities effective March 15, 2021.

The appeal for service connection for hypertension, claimed as due to herbicide agent exposure, was granted.

The Board granted a 10 percent disability rating for service-connected hypertension and denied service connection for sleep apnea, while remanding several other claims including those for various disabilities related to the Veteran's low back, cervical spine, knees, gastrointestinal system, heart, fibromyalgia, PTSD, and hearing loss.