BVA decisions by condition
Hypertensive heart disease: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2017 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a hypertensive heart disease issue in 3,072 decisions. It granted the hypertensive heart disease issue in 14.8% of them, below the 19.4% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 28.3%, and remanded it in 54.9%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 34.4% were granted.
Decisions
3,072
2017–2026
Granted
14.8%
All conditions: 19.4%
Granted on the merits
34.4%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
54.9%
Denied: 28.3%
Hypertensive heart disease outcomes by year
| Year | Issues decided | Granted | Denied | Remanded | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 162 | 8.6% | 37.7% | 45.7% | 8.0% |
| 2018 | 306 | 8.8% | 39.5% | 46.7% | 4.9% |
| 2019 | 365 | 12.9% | 29.3% | 55.1% | 2.7% |
| 2020 | 377 | 9.5% | 27.6% | 60.5% | 2.4% |
| 2021 | 376 | 9.0% | 27.9% | 60.9% | 2.1% |
| 2022 | 384 | 15.6% | 26.3% | 57.3% | 0.8% |
| 2023 | 374 | 18.7% | 24.9% | 54.5% | 1.9% |
| 2024 | 337 | 23.4% | 22.8% | 53.4% | 0.3% |
| 2025 | 313 | 19.2% | 26.2% | 53.4% | 1.3% |
| 2026 | 114 | 27.2% | 22.8% | 47.4% | 2.6% |
Each row counts issues (each condition the Board decided), so the shares add up to 100%. Other: dismissed, withdrawn or no clear outcome. Years with fewer than 50 issues are left out.
Evidence in granted and denied hypertensive heart disease decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the hypertensive heart disease issue on the merits when the decision mentioned it, compared with decisions that did not. These are associations, not causes, and evidence is recorded per decision, not per issue.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positive nexus opinion | 447 | 75.3% | 23.0% | +52.2 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 318 | 71.6% | 26.9% | +44.8 pts |
| Claimed as secondary | 1,099 | 60.0% | 22.8% | +37.1 pts |
| Treating physician opinion | 141 | 48.5% | 33.6% | +14.9 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 903 | 41.4% | 30.8% | +10.6 pts |
| Combat service | 179 | 39.5% | 34.0% | +5.5 pts |
| Lay statement | 2,167 | 30.7% | 44.6% | −13.9 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 66.6% of the decisions that granted hypertensive heart disease.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 24.0% of grants and 8.4% of denials.
Negative evidence in the record
An unfavorable exam or a negative nexus opinion often sits in the same record as favorable evidence, and the Board weighs them against each other. So these rows show how often hypertensive heart disease was still granted when the record contained the negative item, not that the item helped.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unfavorable VA exam | 1,942 | 31.6% | 40.5% | −8.9 pts |
| Negative nexus opinion | 1,421 | 29.9% | 38.9% | −8.9 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied hypertensive heart disease
Most common reasons in grants
- Caused by the service-connected disability68
- Current diagnosis established51
- Service connection established43
- Criteria for service connection met7
- Positive nexus opinion from VA examiner5
- Conceded herbicide exposure5
- Secondary to hypertension4
- Ischemic heart disease is a presumptive condition under 38 c.f.r. § 3.309(e)4
Most common reasons in denials
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis93
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim91
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service78
- Service records negative or silent65
- No current diagnosis60
- No continuity of symptomatology37
- Current diagnosis established29
- Criteria for service connection not met26
Numbers are decisions that gave the reason. Reasons are short phrases extracted by AI from each decision; common wordings of the same reason are grouped. Benefit of the doubt is reported above.
Recent hypertensive heart disease decisions
Granted
Veteran has a current heart disability.; Veteran is service-connected for hypertension.; VA examiner opined heart condition related to hypertension.
VA heart examination found left ventricular hypertrophy.; Examiner opined condition was most likely caused by service-connected hypertension.; Secondary nexus established.
Heart murmur noted at enlistment.; Increase in severity during service.; Presumption of aggravation applied.; VA examiner's negative opinion insufficient to rebut.
Denied
No in-service diagnosis or cardiac abnormality found in service treatment records.; Private cardiologist opined condition is less likely than not related to service.; VA examiner opined condition is not at least as likely as not related to service.; Claim based on tobacco use is statutorily barred.; Toxic exposure theory lacks supporting medical evidence.
Criteria for entitlement not met; Evidence persuasively weighs against service connection; No nexus to in-service immunizations
No evidence of inception during service; No manifestation within one-year presumptive period; No continuity of symptomatology post-service; Vague assertions of exposure insufficient for nexus or TERA exam
Rules that apply to hypertensive heart disease claims
- 38 CFR 3.303
Principles of service connection
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.310
Secondary service connection and aggravation
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.102
Reasonable doubt (benefit of the doubt)
Read it in VA Law Explorer
Research your hypertensive heart disease case
Narrow by year, judge, evidence or secondary condition, read the decisions, and export a research memo.
How these numbers are calculated
- Rates count decisions in which the Board decided a hypertensive heart disease issue, by the outcome of that issue. Other issues in the same decision can have different outcomes.
- “Granted on the merits” leaves out remands and dismissals. “All conditions” is the grant share across every condition issue in the data.
- The data comes from CaseScribe's AI extraction of public BVA decisions (2017–2026) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.