The Veteran's claim for an initial 10 percent evaluation for hypertension was granted, effective August 10, 2022. The Board found that the Veteran needed continuous medication for his hypertension and had at least one blood pressure reading of 160 or more systolic. An earlier effective date prior to August 10, 2022 is denied due to the PACT Act's retroactivity rules.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claim was granted under the PACT Act, which provides presumptive service connection for hypertension based on exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam. The effective date of the award is August 10, 2022, as it falls within one year of the PACT Act's effective date.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertension
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- October 30, 2023
- Citation
- A23030200
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 A23030200.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- 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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