Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2026

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as service-connected due to exposure to herbicide agents during his service in Vietnam, and the PACT Act expands this presumption to include hypertension.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals concerning the ratings for pes cavus and hypertension before a decision was made.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bronchitis was not properly appealed, and the appeal is dismissed.,The Veteran's increased rating claim for hypertension was denied as his blood pressure readings did not meet the criteria for a 10% disability rating.

The Veteran's cervical strain is directly related to his military service. His HTN, CKD, GERD, left and right leg varicose veins, OSA, and right knee arthritis are all secondary to his service-connected disabilities, with obesity as an intermediate step.

The Veteran's effective dates for stroke, aortic aneurysm, and atrial fibrillation have been granted. The effective date for ischemic heart disease has not been established.,Increased ratings for hypertension and atrial fibrillation have been denied.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, a heart condition, and erectile dysfunction due to lack of compliance with prior remand directives regarding potential service within the 12-mile nautical boundary of Vietnam.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and remanded the issue of service connection for erectile dysfunction.

The Board has remanded the claims for heart disease, hypertension, bilateral foot disability (including plantar fasciitis and pes planus), right knee pain, right shoulder pain, sciatica, and sleep disorder due to a deficiency in the record prior to the decision on appeal.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a heart disability other than hypertension, hypertensive heart disease, and valvular heart disease.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for effective dates and initial ratings related to hypertension and generalized anxiety disorder associated with coronary artery disease due to a lack of valid notice of disagreement filed by any eligible party.

A 10 percent rating for hypertension is granted effective November 28, 2022. A 70 percent rating for PTSD is granted. Rhinitis remains at a noncompensable rating.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, and ischemic heart disease due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service or exposure to herbicide agents in Korea.

The Veteran's TDIU and SMC claims are denied as he does not have a single service-connected disability rated at 60% or more, nor is his TDIU based on a single disability. The Board found that the Veteran has multiple disabilities but no single disability rated as total.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, finding that there was no evidence linking his causes of death to his military service.

The Veteran's cause of death (ischemic bowel) is granted as service connected. The Board finds that the Veteran's renal cell carcinoma and hypertension, both presumed due to herbicide exposure in Vietnam, are also service-connected.

The Veteran's depression, generalized anxiety and insomnia were granted service connection as a direct result of her service. The right ankle sprain was denied due to lack of evidence linking it to service. Hypertension and hypothyroidism are both remanded for further examination.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, hypertension, right shoulder disability, and left shoulder disability due to a lack of evidence showing the conditions had their onset during or were related to service.,The Veteran's assertions regarding in-service injuries did not align with the service treatment records, which showed no complaints or issues with his shoulders. The Board found that there was insufficient evidence linking current disabilities to service.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and secondary service connection for arteriosclerotic heart disease and heart block to a degree caused by service-connected hypertension.,Reasoning: The evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's diagnosed conditions are related to his in-service exposure or other factors, leading to the Board granting these claims.

The Board has denied the Veteran's appeals for service connection for various conditions due to untimely filing of appeal requests.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, obstructive sleep apnea, and hypertension are remanded due to incomplete STRs and inadequate VA examinations.