The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension as secondary to his service-connected disabilities, including degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine with IVDS and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinion supported a finding that there was an incremental increase in blood pressure due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, which constituted aggravation of his hypertension.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertension, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine with IVDS, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy with IVDS, right elbow pronation and supination, right knee strain, rhabdomyolysis of the right lower extremity associated with the sciatic nerve
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 18, 2021
- Citation
- 21030317
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 21030317.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
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Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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