Hypertension (Agent Orange — Blue Water/Brown Water Navy): VA Presumptive Condition (Agent Orange)
VeteranHQ lists Hypertension (Agent Orange — Blue Water/Brown Water Navy) as a presumptive condition in the Agent Orange and Other Herbicides group. The exposure it is tied to is: Herbicide Agent (Agent Orange/TCDD). The presumption is effective August 10, 2022. It is governed by 38 USC § 1116(a)(2)(M); Public Law 117-168, title IV, § 404(c) (August 10, 2022).
A presumption removes one requirement and one only: the veteran does not have to prove a medical link between the condition and service. Everything else still applies. There must be a current diagnosis, the service has to meet the requirements below, and VA decides the claim on the evidence in the record.
What qualifies: Hypertension (Agent Orange — Blue Water/Brown Water Navy)
- Service era
- Vietnam Era (August 5, 1964 – May 7, 1975)
- Service location
- Republic of Vietnam, Thailand (specified bases), Korean DMZ, Johnston Island, and offshore waters within 12 nautical miles of the coast of Vietnam
- Exposure
- Herbicide Agent (Agent Orange/TCDD)
- Effective date
- August 10, 2022
- Filing deadline
- No statutory deadline. File a new claim if you have never claimed hypertension; a Supplemental Claim is only for a condition VA already decided
- Diagnostic code
- 7101
Service required for this presumption
Service in the Republic of Vietnam between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, or other covered herbicide service. The presumption reaches every veteran with covered service, not only veterans who served aboard ship. THIS PRESUMPTION IS AVAILABLE NOW. VA.gov lists high blood pressure as a current Agent Orange presumptive condition added by the PACT Act and says that if you have not filed a claim yet for the presumptive condition you can file a new claim online now. Public Law 117-168 § 404(d)(2)(A) set a phased schedule (August 10, 2022 for claimants for dependency and indemnity compensation and for veterans VA determines are terminally ill, homeless, under extreme financial hardship, more than 85 years old, or capable of demonstrating other sufficient cause; October 1, 2026 for everyone else), but VA implemented the presumption ahead of that schedule, so no veteran needs to wait for October 2026 to file.
About this presumption
Congress added hypertension to the statutory herbicide presumptive list at 38 USC § 1116(a)(2)(M) in section 404(c) of Public Law 117-168, enacted August 10, 2022, following National Academy of Medicine review of the association with TCDD exposure. 38 CFR § 3.309(e) does not list hypertension, so the statute is the authority for this presumption. TCDD promotes hypertension through multiple mechanisms: increased angiotensin-converting enzyme activity, endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and disruption of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. How to file depends on your history, and the two routes are not interchangeable. A veteran who has never claimed hypertension files a NEW claim: VA.gov says you can file one online now. A veteran VA already denied files a Supplemental Claim, which by VA's own definition reviews a claim it has already decided. Retroactive awards under Public Law 117-168 § 404(d)(2)(B) go only to claimants for dependency and indemnity compensation described in § 404(d)(2)(A)(i), and the Nehmer rules at 38 CFR § 3.816 reach only the covered herbicide diseases listed in 38 CFR § 3.309(e), which does not include hypertension. That limits the special retroactive-award path; it does not remove the ordinary effective-date rules that apply to any granted claim. Hypertension is one of the most common service-connected conditions and also serves as a primary condition for secondary cardiovascular and renal disease claims.
Evidence still needed
A presumption does not remove the evidence requirement. VA still needs a current diagnosis from a medical provider and service records that show the qualifying service above. What it removes is the medical opinion connecting the two.
Service records confirming covered herbicide service; medical evidence of a hypertension diagnosis; blood pressure readings taken two or more times on at least three different days, which is what 38 CFR § 4.104, DC 7101, Note (1) requires; cardiology or primary care records documenting diagnosis and treatment; medication records (antihypertensives). Note (1) defines hypertension as diastolic pressure predominantly 90 or more, and isolated systolic hypertension as systolic pressure predominantly 160 or more with diastolic pressure under 90. The DC 7101 evaluations are 10 percent for diastolic predominantly 100 or more, or systolic predominantly 160 or more, or a history of diastolic predominantly 100 or more requiring continuous medication for control; 20 percent for diastolic predominantly 110 or more, or systolic predominantly 200 or more; 40 percent for diastolic predominantly 120 or more; and 60 percent for diastolic predominantly 130 or more. Service connection does not depend on reaching a compensable level.
Controlling legal authority
38 USC § 1116(a)(2)(M); Public Law 117-168, title IV, § 404(c) (August 10, 2022)
Related on VeteranHQ
- Hypertensive vascular disease (hypertension and isolated systolic hypertension): 38 CFR Part 4 rating criteriaThe percentage tiers VA applies once service connection is established, under DC 7101.
- VA presumptive conditions, explainedHow presumptive service connection works, and what it does not cover.
- All presumptive conditions by exposureAgent Orange, PACT Act, Camp Lejeune, Gulf War, and ionizing radiation.
Questions About Hypertension (Agent Orange — Blue Water/Brown Water Navy) and Presumptive Service Connection
Is Hypertension (Agent Orange — Blue Water/Brown Water Navy) a VA presumptive condition?
Yes. VeteranHQ lists Hypertension (Agent Orange — Blue Water/Brown Water Navy) as presumptive in the Agent Orange and Other Herbicides group, effective August 10, 2022, under 38 USC § 1116(a)(2)(M); Public Law 117-168, title IV, § 404(c) (August 10, 2022). A presumption removes the requirement to prove a medical link to service. A current diagnosis and qualifying service are still required, and VA decides the claim.
What service qualifies for the Hypertension (Agent Orange — Blue Water/Brown Water Navy) presumption?
Service in the Republic of Vietnam between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, or other covered herbicide service. The presumption reaches every veteran with covered service, not only veterans who served aboard ship. THIS PRESUMPTION IS AVAILABLE NOW. VA.gov lists high blood pressure as a current Agent Orange presumptive condition added by the PACT Act and says that if you have not filed a claim yet for the presumptive condition you can file a new claim online now. Public Law 117-168 § 404(d)(2)(A) set a phased schedule (August 10, 2022 for claimants for dependency and indemnity compensation and for veterans VA determines are terminally ill, homeless, under extreme financial hardship, more than 85 years old, or capable of demonstrating other sufficient cause; October 1, 2026 for everyone else), but VA implemented the presumption ahead of that schedule, so no veteran needs to wait for October 2026 to file. Service era: Vietnam Era (August 5, 1964 – May 7, 1975). Service location: Republic of Vietnam, Thailand (specified bases), Korean DMZ, Johnston Island, and offshore waters within 12 nautical miles of the coast of Vietnam.
What evidence is still needed for a Hypertension (Agent Orange — Blue Water/Brown Water Navy) claim?
Service records confirming covered herbicide service; medical evidence of a hypertension diagnosis; blood pressure readings taken two or more times on at least three different days, which is what 38 CFR § 4.104, DC 7101, Note (1) requires; cardiology or primary care records documenting diagnosis and treatment; medication records (antihypertensives). Note (1) defines hypertension as diastolic pressure predominantly 90 or more, and isolated systolic hypertension as systolic pressure predominantly 160 or more with diastolic pressure under 90. The DC 7101 evaluations are 10 percent for diastolic predominantly 100 or more, or systolic predominantly 160 or more, or a history of diastolic predominantly 100 or more requiring continuous medication for control; 20 percent for diastolic predominantly 110 or more, or systolic predominantly 200 or more; 40 percent for diastolic predominantly 120 or more; and 60 percent for diastolic predominantly 130 or more. Service connection does not depend on reaching a compensable level. A presumption removes the requirement to prove a medical link to service. A current diagnosis and qualifying service are still required, and VA decides the claim.
Is there a filing deadline for Hypertension (Agent Orange — Blue Water/Brown Water Navy)?
No statutory deadline. File a new claim if you have never claimed hypertension; a Supplemental Claim is only for a condition VA already decided
VeteranHQ publishes VA rules and the citations behind them. It does not prepare, file, or represent claims, and nothing here is legal advice or a prediction of what VA will decide.