Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2026

The Veteran's hypertension was granted service connection effective August 10, 2022. The heart disability was granted secondary to the hypertension.,An initial rating of 30% for the heart disability was granted in May 2023 and increased to 60% since October 22, 2024.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and tinnitus, finding that the conditions were not incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, glaucoma/low vision, and monoclonal gammopathy of uncertain significance due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him in need of regular aid and attendance of another, as his need for assistance is associated with nonservice-connected conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death, which was listed as 'natural causes' on his death certificate, is more likely due to coronary artery disease and hypertension. These conditions are presumed service-connected based on exposure to herbicide agents (Agent Orange). The Board granted DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1310.

The Veteran's appeal of the January 2025 rating decision which granted SMC based on housebound criteria being met, effective August 19, 2018, is dismissed as he was prohibited from filing an appeal to the Board while his higher-level review request for SMC benefits was pending.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for service-connected hypertension is remanded due to the failure of the AOJ to obtain updated VA examination and relevant treatment records, including private care.

Your appeals to the April 2024 and October 2024 decisions for PTSD, hypertension, and tinnitus have been dismissed as untimely.

The Veteran's hypertension was granted service connection, but his myopathy claim for secondary service connection to hypertension was also granted. The decision is mixed as it grants one issue and denies the other.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for OSA due to incomplete VA medical opinions regarding secondary causation and aggravation by hypertension. The Veteran's OSA is currently diagnosed, he was exposed to herbicide agents during his Vietnam service, and his primary disability (hypertension) is service connected.

The appeal seeking readjudication of the previously denied claim for PTSD and multiple other conditions is dismissed due to a procedural defect. The Veteran's authorized representative at the time the appeal was submitted did not have the authority to file the appeal.

The Veteran's hypertension, left knee patellofemoral syndrome, and right knee patellofemoral syndrome have been granted service connection as secondary to his service-connected disabilities. The lumbar spine disability has also been granted but the effective date is not specified.

Service connection for rheumatoid arthritis and Sjogren's syndrome is granted.,Service connection for hypertension is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding its onset in service or as a result of a disease or injury in active service.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeal for earlier effective dates for hypertension and coronary artery disease (CAD) as both issues were previously decided by the Board on a presumptive basis under the PACT Act, which precludes an earlier effective date.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that it is secondary to her service-connected PTSD and obesity. The decision also acknowledges the Veteran's participation in a TERA during service.

The Veteran's service-connected acquired psychiatric disability, ischemic cardiomyopathy, and other disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation since December 29, 2020. Effective from that date, the Veteran is granted TDIU and SMC housebound.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him in need of regular aid and attendance, as evidenced by his inability to dress or undress himself, keep himself clean and presentable, and manage his daily medications. The Board has granted entitlement to SMC(l).

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of ambulance travel expenses incurred on June 17, 2025 due to an emergency heart attack. The ambulance service was provided by a volunteer organization and later intercepted by a higher-tier EMT company.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate development of her exposure history and lack of adequate medical opinions. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further action.

The Veteran's hypertension, left shoulder strain, and right shoulder disability are all granted as service-connected.,The Veteran is also remanded for a rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative arthritis of the spine and for service connection for sleep apnea.