VA different higher normal HBP/HTN for vets

[Dustoff1970]

No surprise.  A just completed C&P exam for Hypertension, the examiner informed me that the VA is well behind the civilian health care system in using a higher number for normal blood pressure readings.  Civilian health care considers 120 over 70 to be normal reading whereas he said VA only recognizes a higher number of 160 over 90.  This of course adversely effects amount of disability compensation for vets.

[jbasser]

The VA recognizes Hypertension from the same guidelines as everyone else. The numbers 160 / 100 are not guidelines. They are the level at which HTN becomes compensable. It is  either or.  Plus it takes a majority of readings taken over a period of time. If a veteran has HTN and is considering a claim, FIest thing to do would be put in a Intent to file and you have a year to record your BP readings. Make an excel sheet and use the tools in EXcel to make a chart with averages, High and Low. 

[brokensoldier244th]

Thats because anything higher than hypertension stage one is something to worry about . HTN stage one is easily surmountable by some very basic lifestyle changes and HTN stage 1 barely falls outside of outliers for normal blood pressure when normalized across ethnicity and age. I've asked about this from various family members (I have several nurses and 2 doctors across our extended family), and they all concurred. 

[Vync]

I filed a hypertension claim a while back and the VA denied it. Turns out the criteria said that there had to be multiple readings. However, the VAMC triage nurses only every noted the -lowest- BP readings. If your readings were high, they would make you wait a few minutes and take another reading. If still high, they would prop up my arm and try again, which was usually the lowest.

[brokensoldier244th]

But My non VA  doctor does that too. It's not unusual. Outlier readings aren't used by any doctor/insurance company/ whatever. 

[GBArmy]

Vync Seems that they should at least record the factual numbers. If the first reading is high, they do it again (and again). Happens to us all, but common sense would dictate that a reading is a factual number and should be of record. Happens all the time that VA has their rules and they (may) follow them, but we have to follow them in every case whether it makes sense or not. 

[Dustoff1970]

On day one of the exam they took three readings of left army and two of right arm.  On day two I sent in by email my own at home readings taken 3 times during the day.  I was told not to run a mile before taking my BP readings.

BP cuff was prescribed by and issued by VA PCP doctor.  I understand from another source the Nam vet hypertension claims will be held/deferred until actual VA regulations are written to conform with the new PACT ACT law of presumptive HTN/HBP disease due to Nam Agent Orange and of course this may take a long time.

My VA records show I have been on continuous VA HBP medicines since 2011 and before that since 2006 by private family doctor with over a dozen VA diagnosis of HTN since 2011.

Edited September 17, 2022 by Dustoff1970