Hypertension (high blood pressure) Board decisions

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection, and his acquired psychiatric disorder is granted a 50% rating. His hypertension receives a minimum compensable rating of 10%. The appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for chronic bilateral knee strain or bilateral hip disability, and there was insufficient evidence to grant service connection for neurological disabilities of the lower extremities, hypertension, endocrine disability, or unspecified muscle disability.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and ischemic heart disease for accrued benefits purposes due to a lack of an Individual Longitudinal Exposure Record (ILER). The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss for accrued benefits purposes is denied as there was no new and relevant evidence presented.

The Veteran's 20% rating for hypertension was restored to 20% effective January 1, 2021. The Board found that the evidence did not show sustained material improvement in the Veteran's condition under ordinary conditions of life.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of hypertension was denied as the evidence did not establish a continuous pursuit within one year of the January 2020 rating decision, and because the PACT Act created the presumption for hypertension, the effective date provisions applicable to Nehmer class members do not apply.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for compensable disability ratings for Erectile Dysfunction, Prostate Cancer, and Hypertension due to his failure to report for VA examinations without providing good cause.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 10% rating for hypertension and GERD was granted. The effective dates are November 1, 2019.

The Veteran's low back condition is granted service connection, and he is awarded a 70 percent disability rating for PTSD. His diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction and hypertension is granted service connection but denied an increased rating. The Veteran's bilateral lower extremity diabetic neuropathy of the sciatic nerve and femoral nerve are each granted service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a TDIU on a schedular basis. However, his PTSD prevents him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has referred the claim to the Under Secretary for Benefits or the Director of Compensation and Pension Services for consideration of an extraschedular rating due to marked interference with employment.

The Veteran's depressive disorder is granted an initial rating of 50 percent. The Veteran's hypertension is denied a higher than 10 percent rating. The Veteran's hallux valgus, left foot and right foot are both granted compensable ratings.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's kidney disease is granted as secondary to his service-connected hypertension.,The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is granted as aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that it is related to in-service herbicide exposure. The decision also acknowledges a change in classification of hypertension from 'limited or suggestive' evidence of an association to 'sufficient' evidence of an association by the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.

The Veteran's cause of death is remanded for further evaluation, including a medical opinion on the primary and contributory causes of his death. The Board finds that there may be a connection between the Veteran's hypertension and heart disease with service, but more evidence is needed to determine if these conditions caused or contributed to his death.

The Veteran's initial hypertension evaluation is denied, but he was granted a 100% evaluation for six months following his stroke and TDIU from September 21, 2022. The appeal is remanded for further evaluations.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, COPD, heart disease, and rheumatoid arthritis as the evidence did not establish a relationship to service.,Specifically, the Veteran's military records were silent on any diagnosis or treatment of these conditions. The private medical records from 2023 indicated diagnoses but did not relate them to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for Parkinson's disease, hypertension, and MDS. The appeals were based on direct causation rather than presumptive exposure to herbicides or other toxic exposures.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to a duty to assist error involving employment records from his former employers.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was caused by ischemic heart disease, diastolic chronic heart failure, and essential hypertension. The issue of whether he was exposed to herbicide agents during service in Korea is remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for hypertension, finding that his blood pressure readings did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under Diagnostic Code 7101.

The Veteran's left great toe onychomycosis is rated at 10 percent disabling, while his hypertension is denied a higher rating. The appeal for service connection of the back condition and TDIU remains pending.