Nexus letter
Hypertension
High blood pressure claimed directly or as secondary to PTSD, sleep apnea, or diabetes.
$895 for this condition · $149 to start
What this claim turns on
Hypertension is frequently claimed as secondary, and the strength of the opinion depends on which primary you are working from. The association between obstructive sleep apnea and hypertension is well established physiologically. The association with PTSD is supported by a substantial body of literature on sustained sympathetic activation, though it is a more contested opinion and we will say so honestly rather than overstating it. What matters in either case is a documented blood pressure history showing the progression.
Commonly claimed as secondary to
If one of these is already service connected, this condition may be claimable as secondary to it. Your intake asks which pathway applies.
Conditions often secondary to this one
If hypertension is already service connected for you, these conditions are frequently claimed as flowing from it. Each needs its own opinion.
Records to have ready
Your physician needs these to form an opinion. Gathering them before you start is the single biggest thing you can do to move your case quickly.
- DD-214 or other separation document
- Service treatment records covering your time in service
- Current VA or private treatment records showing a diagnosis
- Any VA rating decision or denial letter you have received
- Blood pressure readings over time — the more history the better
- Medication history
- Records for the primary service-connected condition
Missing something? Start anyway and tell us in the intake. Sometimes a gap changes the approach rather than stopping the claim. How to request your records.