Hypertension (high blood pressure) Board decisions

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including hypertension, knee conditions, hearing loss, mental health disorders, COPD and/or asthma, and sleep apnea. The remand requires obtaining additional medical records, verifying stressors, confirming exposure to asbestos, scheduling examinations for each condition, and determining the etiology of any diagnosed respiratory disorder and sleep disorder.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is granted as secondary to service-connected PTSD.,The Veteran's hypertension is granted due to presumed herbicide exposure during service.,The Veteran's coronary artery disease (ischemic heart disease) is granted an initial disability evaluation of 60 percent, effective April 25, 2017.,The Veteran's atrial fibrillation with implanted cardiac pacemaker associated with coronary artery disease is granted an initial disability evaluation of 30 percent, effective April 25, 2018.

The Board has found that an effective date prior to December 23, 2015, for the award of service connection for hypertension is not warranted. The case is remanded for further development regarding initial compensable rating for hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, tachycardia, and diabetes mellitus type II.

The Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for hypertension and an increased rating for left lower radiculopathy with diabetic neuropathy are being remanded due to the need for updated VA treatment records and a new examination.

The Veteran's diabetes, hypertension, and retinopathy are granted as service connected due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents. The hearing loss claim is remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to multiple pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including incorrect social security numbers and missing military records. Additional evidence is needed to determine the relationship between his conditions and active duty.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes, hypertension, prostate cancer, and skin cancer as there is no persuasive evidence of in-service exposure to herbicide agents or chronic conditions during service.

The Veteran's type II diabetes mellitus and hypertension are granted as due to herbicide agent exposure.,Service connection for bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy is granted as secondary to service-connected type II diabetes mellitus. The Veteran's Charcot right foot, missing toe, is also granted as secondary to a service-connected disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a lumbar spine disability and hypertension, finding insufficient evidence to establish a link between these conditions and her active duty service. The claim for a rating in excess of 50 percent for migraine/tension headaches was also denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings on multiple knee and ankle conditions, as well as hypertension, are being remanded to the RO for initial consideration.

The Veteran's hypertension and diabetes mellitus, type II are presumed to have been incurred in service due to exposure to herbicide agents.,Right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, and left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy are all found to be secondary to the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, right hand disorder, left hand disorder, right foot disorder, and left foot disorder. The issues of service connection for gout, hypertension, and heart disorder are remanded due to incomplete records.

Service connection for bilateral upper extremity neuropathy, left lower extremity neuropathy, PTSD, depressive disorder, hypertension, tinnitus, anxiety disorder, and left leg scar is granted. Service connection for head scar is denied.,The Veteran's hypertension was granted on a presumptive basis due to herbicide agent exposure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional medical records and education on the credentials of VA examiners.

The Board denied service connection for Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and Hypertension, finding that the evidence did not support a link to service or any other compensable factor.

The Board denied service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, glaucoma secondary to service-connected diabetes, and hypertension. The Veteran's claims were based on presumed exposure to herbicides (Agent Orange), but the Joint Services Records Research Center found no evidence of such exposure.,Service connection was not granted as there is insufficient evidence to establish actual exposure to Agent Orange or herbicide agents in service.

The Board has remanded the claims for coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, and an eye disorder due to new evidence. The Veteran's left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy claim is denied as there is no earlier effective date prior to November 7, 2017.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as service-connected due to exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam, following the PACT Act of 2022.

Service connection for hypertension and prostate cancer is granted. Service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities and a heart condition (presumed ischemic heart disease) are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's hypertension, requiring medication for control, is rated at 10 percent under Diagnostic Code 7101.