The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension due to herbicide exposure, finding that there is not enough evidence to establish a direct relationship between his in-service Agent Orange exposure and his current condition.
The deciding factor: The Board found that while the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Update 2018 indicated a positive association between herbicide agent exposure and hypertension, this treatise evidence alone was insufficient to establish a direct causation. The Veteran's specific risk factors for hypertension were considered in addition to the medical literature.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertension
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 20, 2026
- Citation
- 26000706
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 26000706.
What this means for you
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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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