Hypertension (high blood pressure) decisions — 2026

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for hypertension, stroke, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and brain tumor due to alleged in-service exposure to Agent Orange. The Veteran is seeking a VA medical opinion regarding the relationship between his disabilities and military service.

The Veteran's spouse, D.A., was added as a dependent for VA compensation purposes. The Veteran also received an increase in rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for hypertension.

The Veteran's hypertension was not service-connected as it did not manifest during service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.,Service connection for peripheral vestibular disorder (PVD) disability was granted based on the relationship between tinnitus and PVD.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD, sleep disturbances, anxiety, hypothyroidism, glaucoma, and hypertension. The Veteran's claims were not supported by the evidence of record.

The Veteran's service connection for degenerative arthritis of the left shoulder was granted, effective August 4, 2023.,Effective dates prior to January 18, 2023, were denied for lumbosacral strain, bilateral hip strain, and supraventricular arrhythmia. Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension was granted effective August 23, 2019, but no earlier.,Service connection for erectile dysfunction was granted effective March 21, 2019.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to his service-connected disabilities, as there was no evidence showing that these conditions caused or contributed to his death.

The Veteran's hypertension is not rated higher than noncompensable due to insufficient blood pressure readings.,The Veteran's headache disability and acquired psychiatric disability are remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has determined that the AOJ did not fully consider the Veteran's reported toxic exposures in service, and thus remanded for appropriate TERA development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension and stroke are related to service, but additional medical opinions are needed to clarify these relationships.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error and needs additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of hypertension.

The Veteran's appeals for increased evaluations, service connection, and TDIU have been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable evaluation for hemorrhoids and service connection for an injury to the eyes (chemical, ink) was withdrawn. The Veteran's PTSD with MDD is granted at 70 percent disability rating.

The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), high blood pressure, and spinal stenosis due to potential errors in predecisional duty to assist. The Veteran's service connection claims are being returned for further examination or medical opinions.

The appeal of the deferred issue of a disability rating in excess of 50 percent for the Veteran's service-connected OSA is dismissed.,The appeal of an increased rating for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability is denied. The Veteran did not meet the criteria for a 70% rating.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim of service connection for hypertension due to exposure at Fort Chaffee and secondary to his service-connected degenerative arthritis. The case will be returned to the RO for further development.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted with a 10% rating, effective August 10, 2022.,Service connection for enlarged prostate and elevated PSA levels as well as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Veteran's eligibility for the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) is being remanded due to a lack of explanation in the April 2021 decision regarding whether participation in the program was in his best interest. The Board finds that the Veteran requires personal care services due to disabilities including posttraumatic stress disorder, tension headaches, and others.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for hypertension, finding that his blood pressure readings did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating under VA's tables.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, type II, and hypertension due to a duty-to-assist error. The AOJ is instructed to obtain medical opinions addressing whether these conditions are related to his service-connected persistent depressive disorder.

The Veteran's heart disease, hypothyroidism, and hypertension are presumed to be associated with in-service exposure to herbicide agents. Therefore, the Board has granted service connection for these conditions.