Guide series
Hypertension and VA Disability: Complete Guide Series
Plain-English guides to hypertension VA disability claims: service connection, ratings under Diagnostic Code 7101, the hypertension DBQ, and secondary connection to PTSD, sleep apnea, and diabetes.
Overview
Start here: hypertension basics.
High blood pressure is one of the most commonly diagnosed conditions among veterans, and hypertension claims raise several separate questions: whether the condition can be connected to service, how the VA measures severity, and when hypertension can be service connected secondary to another disability.
The guides below work through each question using the VA's own regulations. Start with the overview, then read the guide that matches your situation.
Hypertension and VA Disability: How Service Connection Works
How VA service connection for hypertension works, what evidence supports a claim, and how direct, presumptive, and secondary connection apply under 38 CFR.
Read the main guideIn this series
Go deeper on your situation.
8 min readHypertension VA Ratings Explained: 10%, 20%, 40%, and 60%
How the VA rates high blood pressure under Diagnostic Code 7101, including the minimum 10 percent rating for veterans on continuous medication.
Read article
8 min readHypertension Secondary to PTSD: How the VA Evaluates the Claim
How hypertension can be service connected secondary to PTSD under 38 CFR 3.310, what causation and aggravation require, and where these claims commonly fall short.
Read article
8 min readHypertension Secondary to Sleep Apnea: What the Evidence Must Show
How high blood pressure can be service connected secondary to obstructive sleep apnea under 38 CFR 3.310, and what medical evidence supports the link.
Read article
7 min readHypertension Secondary to Diabetes: How the VA Evaluates the Claim
How hypertension can be service connected secondary to diabetes mellitus under 38 CFR 3.310, including the role of kidney involvement and aggravation.
Read article
7 min readThe VA Hypertension DBQ: What It Is and What It Captures
What a Disability Benefits Questionnaire is, what the hypertension DBQ records, and how it relates to the rating criteria under Diagnostic Code 7101.
Read article
8 min readMedical Evidence for a Hypertension VA Claim
What medical evidence supports a hypertension VA claim - readings, treatment history, lay statements, and medical opinions - and where records commonly fall short.
Read article
Talk with a real person about your case.
Call now - our team is happy to help.