Hypertension (high blood pressure) Board decisions

The Veteran's monetary award from the July 8, 2024 rating decision is denied because the appeal for attorney fees was not timely.

The Veteran is granted an effective date of June 22, 2019 for the award of special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has dismissed all appealed issues related to effective dates, including those for TBI, tinnitus, tension headaches, bilateral eye disability, psychiatric disability, hypertension, and right knee disability.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension as secondary to his service-connected PTSD with major depressive disorder.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for hearing loss and granted service connection for right elbow condition. The remaining issues of left elbow, cervical spine, left hand, right hand strain, left shoulder, lumbar spine, left lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatica), right lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatica), movement disorder of the leg, movement disorder of the foot, and bilateral plantar fasciitis are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development and consideration of VA treatment records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including kidney disorder, heart disorder, left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder, hearing loss, and bilateral eye disorder (nuclear sclerotic cataracts with vitreous membrane detachment and associated floaters), are remanded due to insufficient evidence. The Board also found that the Veteran's hypertension claim is remanded for further analysis.

The Board has dismissed the issue of entitlement to a higher level of SMC. The Veteran's erectile dysfunction and hypertension are both remanded for further development, while service connection for prostate cancer is also remanded.

The Board dismissed all claims related to the Veteran's service connection and rating for various conditions due to the death of the Appellant.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but denied service connection for diabetes mellitus and hypertension as the evidence does not support a finding of exposure to herbicide agents during active duty.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for ischemic heart disease and a compensable rating for hypertension, finding no current disability or symptoms related to these conditions.

The Veteran's pre-existing hypertension was aggravated by his active service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a thyroid disability and hypertension, as the Veteran's assertions regarding these conditions are not fully addressed in the current evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, headache disorder, and stroke residuals are being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors. The AOJ needs to determine if the Veteran participated in a toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) during his honorable period of active service from March 1982 to September 1985 and obtain VA examinations for hypertension, stroke residuals, and headaches.

The Veteran's hypertension is rated at a 10 percent disability rating as the systolic pressure is predominantly 160 or more and requires multiple medications for control.

The Board has granted attorney fees based on the past-due benefits awarded in June 2024 for an increased disability rating of 100% for heart disease and hypertension, effective from January 2024.

The Board has granted effective dates of January 30, 2020 for service connection and related benefits for various conditions including hypertension, diabetes mellitus with diabetic nephropathy and erectile dysfunction, scars, peripheral neuropathies, and a mid-sternotomy scar. The decision is based on the presumption that these conditions are due to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's PTSD results in total occupational and social impairment for the entire appeal period, including a one-year lookback window.,Bilateral hearing loss does not meet compensable rating criteria under VA's tables for hearing loss disabilities.,Hypertension is rated as noncompensable (0%) due to lack of diastolic pressure predominantly 100 or more and systolic pressure predominantly 160 or more, despite the Veteran reporting fatigue often with medication control.,Entitlement to TDIU is moot by virtue of the 100 percent schedular rating now assigned for PTSD.,Basic eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance benefits began on September 21, 2022.,There was no evidence provided that warranted an effective date prior to September 21, 2023, for SMC based on housebound status.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's hypertension as secondary to his service-connected psychiatric disability (generalized anxiety disorder with depressive disorder). The decision affirms that the Veteran's current hypertension is aggravated by his service-connected psychiatric condition.

The Veteran's eye condition (dry eye) is not service-connected as it did not onset in service and is not otherwise related to service.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not service-connected as there is no evidence of its onset during service or a link between current hearing loss and service. The Veteran's tinnitus, which may be related to his hearing loss, is not addressed separately here.,The Veteran's hypertension is not service-connected due to lack of evidence showing it developed in service or within one year post-service.