High blood pressure and your VA claim

Why now

On Oct 30, 2026, VA News reported the first renal denervation procedure at the Houston VA, a minimally invasive treatment for hard-to-control (resistant) high blood pressure. VA notes about 80% of people diagnosed still struggle to control it with medication and lifestyle alone. If your blood pressure started in service, or got worse because of a service-connected condition, it may be claimable.

How VA rates it: DC 7101

Hypertension is rated under Diagnostic Code 7101 in 38 CFR 4.104:

• 60%: diastolic predominantly 130 or more.
• 40%: diastolic predominantly 120 or more.
• 20%: diastolic predominantly 110 or more, or systolic predominantly 200 or more.
• 10%: diastolic predominantly 100 or more, or systolic predominantly 160 or more, or a history of diastolic predominantly 100 or more and you need continuous medication for control.

The word "predominantly" matters: VA looks at the overall pattern, not one bad reading.

The three-day reading rule

Note (1) to DC 7101 says hypertension must be confirmed by readings taken two or more times on at least three different days. VA defines hypertension as diastolic predominantly 90 or higher, and isolated systolic hypertension as systolic predominantly 160 or higher with diastolic under 90.

Hypertensive heart disease and other heart disease are rated separately from hypertension (Note 3).

The 10% medication path

Many veterans on blood pressure pills have normal readings because the pills work. The 10% minimum covers that: if your records show a history of diastolic readings predominantly 100 or more and you now need continuous medication, the minimum is 10%. Find your earliest readings before medication, from service treatment records or your first civilian doctor.

Three ways to connect it

• Direct: high readings or a diagnosis in your service treatment records, with ongoing treatment since.
• Secondary: caused or made worse by a service-connected condition (38 CFR 3.310). Veterans often raise PTSD, sleep apnea, or kidney conditions; you need a medical opinion linking them in your case. See our secondary claims guide and sleep apnea guide.
• Agent Orange (PACT Act): VA added high blood pressure as an Agent Orange presumptive condition. If you meet a presumptive-exposure location (Vietnam, Thailand bases, Laos, certain Cambodia, Guam/American Samoa, Johnston Atoll, Korean DMZ and others on VA's list), you don't have to prove service caused it. Denied before? VA says you can file a Supplemental Claim.

Keep a home BP log

• Take readings at the same times each day, seated and rested, and write down date, time, both numbers, and your medications.
• Cover well more than three days, so the pattern is clear.
• Bring the log and your cuff to appointments so your doctor can check it and put readings in your record.
• Use our symptom and flare-up log to track headaches, dizziness or side effects too.

A home log supports your claim; VA still decides the rating on the full record, including its own exam.

Free help

Never pay anyone to file an initial claim. Free help: a VSO or VA-accredited representative.

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