The Veteran's tension headaches and left ankle disability manifested by pain are granted service connection.,The Veteran's hypertension, secondary to major depressive disorder, right ankle sprain/residuals of fibula fracture, and left ankle disability manifested by pain is granted service connection.,The Veteran's bilateral hypertensive retinopathy, secondary to hypertension, is granted service connection.
The deciding factor: The evidence is approximately evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's tension headaches began during active service. The Board finds that the Veteran has current tension headaches and left ankle disability manifested by pain, and that these disabilities had their onset in service.,The evidence is approximately evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's hypertension was caused by his major depressive disorder, right ankle sprain/residuals of fibula fracture, and now service-connected left ankle disability manifested by pain. The Board finds that the Veteran experiences current hypertension and that this disability is caused by his service-connected conditions.,The evidence is approximately evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's bilateral hypertensive retinopathy was caused by his hypertension. The Board finds that the Veteran experiences current bilateral hypertensive retinopathy, which is defined as retinopathy associated with essential or malignant hypertension.
- Claimed conditions
- tension headaches, left ankle disability manifested by pain, hypertension, bilateral hypertensive retinopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 20, 2023
- Citation
- 23051859
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 23051859.
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.
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- 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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