Rating guide · Cardiovascular
Blood Pressure: Overlooked, but Ratable
Because so many people take a pill for blood pressure, veterans tend to forget it can be a VA claim. Hypertension that medication now controls can still rate 10%, and for veterans exposed to Agent Orange the link to service is presumed.
- The rating tiers
- The 10% floor
- Agent Orange presumption
- Heart & kidney claims
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Hypertension Rating Tiers
Amounts are 2026 monthly pay for a single veteran.
Normal on Medication Doesn’t Mean Zero
There is a minimum 10% rating for a veteran with a history of diastolic readings predominantly 100 or higher who now needs continuous medication for control. What proves it is the readings taken before treatment began, so pull old service, VA and civilian records, including any from the Davenport VA clinic or your Illinois family doctor.
To confirm the diagnosis, the VA wants readings taken at least twice on each of three or more different days. Diastolic predominantly 90 or higher qualifies, as does systolic predominantly 160 or higher with diastolic below 90.
On its own, a 10% rating won’t reach Illinois’s veterans’ property tax exemption, which starts at 30%. Combined with other conditions, though, it can help push your total into a higher tier.
Presumed for Agent Orange Exposure
The PACT Act added hypertension to the Agent Orange presumptive list. If you served in Vietnam or another covered place and time, including certain Thai bases, Laos, parts of Cambodia, Guam, American Samoa and Johnston Atoll, the VA presumes the connection. Our PACT Act page has the details.
High blood pressure can also be claimed as secondary to kidney disease, sleep apnea or PTSD. It can go on to cause heart disease, kidney damage and stroke, and heart disease is rated on its own.
Hypertension VA Rating: Common Questions
My blood pressure is fine with medication. Can I get 10%?
Yes, if your records show a history of diastolic readings predominantly 100 or more and you need continuous medication to control it.
Do Vietnam veterans get hypertension presumptively?
Yes. Under the PACT Act it is presumptive for veterans exposed to Agent Orange in covered locations and periods.
What readings does the VA need to confirm hypertension?
Readings taken two or more times on at least three different days.
Does my hypertension rating cover heart disease too?
No. Hypertensive heart disease and other heart conditions are evaluated and rated separately.
Illinois Veterans: Get the Rating You Earned
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