Hypertension (high blood pressure) Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from December 20, 2006, to June 2, 2009.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension prior to August 10, 2022, and right lower extremity neuropathy were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of direct or secondary service connection.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as service connected due to in-service herbicide exposure, effective prior to August 10, 2022. The claims for COPD, emphysema, and a colon condition are remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus, type 2, chronic kidney disease, liver disability, and hypertension due to asbestos exposure during service. VA is required to provide examinations to determine the nature and etiology of these disabilities.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral knee disability was reopened, and he is now granted service connection. His claims for asthma are also granted, but his claims for thyroid disability, cervical spine disability, hypertension (secondary to major depressive disorder), sleep disability, bilateral hip disability, and erectile dysfunction (secondary to thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis with IVDS) remain pending.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected. The left knee, bilateral heel disorder with plantar fasciitis (secondary to the non-service-connected left knee disorder), left wrist disorder, right wrist disorder, lumbosacral strain, hypertension, migraines, and vertigo/syncope are all remanded for further review.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood. Service connection for a left ankle condition is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for a skin disability and denied service connection for hypertension and a psychiatric disorder. The skin disability is believed to have started during service, while the other conditions are not considered related to service.

The Veteran's appeal of service connection for anemia was withdrawn during a hearing. The Board has dismissed the issue and remanded the remaining claims: obstructive sleep apnea, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction.

Service connection for hypertension is granted due to the PACT Act of 2022, which added hypertension as a presumptive condition associated with herbicide exposure. The Veteran's hypertension is presumed to be related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus and Agent Orange exposure.

The Board denied service connection for sinus disorder, peripheral artery disease (also claimed as bilateral leg cramps), hypertension, and heart disorder.,There is no evidence of a current diagnosis or chronic condition related to these disorders that can be linked to military service.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and hypertension as due to exposure to herbicide agents during active service.

The Board has granted service connection for a headache disability. The remaining issues on appeal are remanded due to the need for additional evidentiary development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and hypertension, finding that there was no persuasive evidence linking these conditions to his active service.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for hypertension as secondary to service-connected disabilities based on new and material evidence, including a statement from the Veteran in April 2017. The case is remanded for further examination to determine if the hypertension is caused or aggravated by service-connected bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and/or acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and hypertension has been granted. The case is remanded for further development regarding the Veteran's service in the Air Force Reserves and a TERA examination for hypertension.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension effective August 10, 2022, due to the PACT Act. However, the issue of whether the Veteran is entitled to service connection for hypertension prior to this date remains unresolved and requires further examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding whether the Veteran's valve replacement surgery and its residuals, including surgical scars, are caused or aggravated by his service-connected coronary artery disease. The VA examiner is requested to provide a rationale for their conclusions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and TDIU based on ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and other service-connected conditions. The evidence did not support a finding that his OSA was directly related to service or secondary to any of his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development, including obtaining an addendum opinion regarding whether there is clear and unmistakable evidence that symptoms of the congenital disease did not start to manifest during service and that any increase in disability during service was due to the natural progress of the preexisting condition. The claims are also remanded for adjudication.