The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The hypertension claim was denied as the current rating is appropriate, and the coronary artery disease prior to January 1, 2014 claim was denied due to lack of evidence meeting the criteria for a higher rating. The left ear hearing loss claim was denied as it does not meet the compensable rating criteria.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's hypertension did not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on diastolic or systolic pressure exceeding specific thresholds. For coronary artery disease, the workload and symptoms were found to be within normal limits without meeting the criteria for a higher rating. The left ear hearing loss was also found to not meet the compensable rating criteria.
- Claimed conditions
- Hypertension, Coronary Artery Disease, Left Ear Sensorineural Hearing Loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 22, 2015
- Citation
- 1553377
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 1553377.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and has remanded the issue of an increased rating for skin condition.
- Granted
The Board has restored the Veteran's 10% rating for hypertension effective December 1, 2025 and denied a rating in excess of 10%. The reduction from 10% to noncompensable was not proper.
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