Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2025

The appeal on the claim of entitlement to service connection for hypertension was dismissed due to a procedural violation by the Veteran in filing his March 2025 VA Form 10182.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for chronic kidney disease, valvular heart disease with atrial fibrillation and heart failure preserved ejection fraction (claimed as coronary artery disease), hypertension, and rheumatoid arthritis to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date prior to March 14, 2023 for a 10 percent evaluation of hypertension.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for hypertension to gather more evidence regarding herbicide exposure during the Veteran's service in Korea.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus, type II, and granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the housebound rate from September 28, 2023, while denying entitlement to TDIU prior to that date and dismissing the claim for TDIU from that date onward.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension as it was not related to the Veteran's service, including any recognized toxic exposure risk activities (TERA), or a service-connected disability.

The Board granted a higher initial 30 percent rating for allergic rhinosinusitis and denied or remanded the other issues.

The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, coronary artery disease with coronary artery bypass graft residuals, right lower extremity peripheral vascular disease with below the knee amputation residuals, and left lower extremity peripheral vascular disease, all of which are related to the Veteran's service-connected adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood.

The Board granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and its secondary conditions including bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, erectile dysfunction, diabetic retinopathy, and hypertension (HTN).

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and therefore, a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is granted.

The Board denied service connection for obesity, a left shoulder disability, hypertension, lung scarring, a right-hand disability, and a left foot disability as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's active military service.

The appeal of the January 2024 proposal to reduce the disability rating from 30 percent disabling to 10 percent for coronary artery disease is dismissed. The Board also denied service connection for various conditions, including chronic fatigue syndrome and posttraumatic stress disorder with traumatic brain injury residuals.

The Board granted service connection for hypertension, PTSD, and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities effective March 29, 2022. The claim for a back condition was remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for obesity, hypertension, deep vein thrombosis, peripheral neuropathy in both upper and lower extremities, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and prostate cancer. The evidence did not support a finding of service connection for any of these conditions.

The Board remands the claims for additional development, including a TERA memorandum and medical opinions regarding the Veteran's hypertension and renal disease.

The Board denied service connection for erectile dysfunction, tinnitus, and GERD due to the lack of a current diagnosis. The Veteran's other specified traumatic and stressor related disorder was rated at 70%, hypertension and other headaches were not rated compensably, and effective dates prior to March 11, 2020, and November 12, 2021, for service connection were denied.

The Board granted earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection for hypertension, erectile dysfunction as secondary to hypertension, and transient ischemic attack as secondary to hypertension.

The Board granted an initial 70 percent rating for the Veteran's unspecified depressive disorder/major depressive disorder with psychotic features, effective October 15, 2014. The claim for a higher rating for hypertension was denied.

The Board denied service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, and hypertension as these conditions were not related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board denied the surviving spouse's claim for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation because the Veteran was not rated totally disabled for the required periods under 38 U.S.C. § 1318, with a peak combined disability rating of 80 percent. The Board remanded three issues: entitlement to survivor's pension benefits, entitlement to TDIU based on a pending March 2020 Supplemental Claim, and entitlement to service connection for cause of death, requiring a new VA medical opinion addressing the interplay between the Veteran's ischemic heart disease, hypertension, COPD, and herbicide exposure under PACT Act provisions.