Heart Disease

Yes. Veterans can receive monthly tax-free VA disability compensation if they establish that their heart condition is service connected. To qualify, veterans must:

1. Have a current diagnosed heart condition
2. Establish service connection (direct, secondary, or presumptive)
3. File a VA disability claim with supporting medical evidence

If approved, compensation is based on your VA disability rating percentage. If denied, you may need assistance from an accredited VA disability law firm such as Wettermark Keith to file an appeal.

Common service-connected heart conditions include:

• Coronary artery disease (CAD)
• Ischemic heart disease
• Hypertensive heart disease
• Cardiomyopathy
• Congestive heart failure
• Peripheral artery disease (PAD)
• Arrhythmias
• Heart valve disease
• Status post heart attack (myocardial infarction)
• Pacemaker implantation
• Coronary bypass surgery
• Heart transplant

Certain conditions may qualify for presumptive service connection based on exposure history.

Yes. Coronary artery disease (CAD), also referred to as ischemic heart disease, can qualify for service connection under several legal theories.

Direct Service Connection

You must show:

• A diagnosed heart condition
• An in-service event, illness, or injury
• A medical nexus linking the current condition to service

Secondary Service Connection

A heart condition may be service connected if it was caused or aggravated by another service-connected condition, such as:

• Diabetes
• PTSD
• Sleep apnea
• Obesity related to service-connected disability

Presumptive Service Connection

Veterans exposed to Agent Orange may qualify for presumptive service connection for:

• Ischemic heart disease
• Coronary artery disease

For example, veterans who served in Vietnam between January 9, 1962 and May 7, 1975 and later developed ischemic heart disease may not need to prove a direct medical nexus. The VA may presume the condition is service connected. Presumptive rules may also apply to certain veterans exposed in Thailand, Korea DMZ, or other qualifying locations.

Wettermark Keith Veterans Disability Lawyers represent veterans throughout Alabama, Tennessee, and Florida in complex VA disability claims and appeals. Our accredited VA disability attorneys help veterans:

• File new heart disease claims
• Appeal denied VA disability claims
• Increase disability ratings
• Establish secondary service connection
• Secure TDIU benefits
• Preserve effective dates during appeals

We understand the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD) and how cardiovascular conditions are evaluated.

Navigating the VA disability system can be overwhelming and time-consuming. Claims often take 6 to 12 months, and many veterans receive incorrect ratings or denials due to incomplete documentation.

Wettermark Keith focuses on veterans disability law and represents veterans seeking VA benefits for heart disease across:

• Birmingham
• Montgomery
• Huntsville
• Dothan
• Chattanooga
• Knoxville
• Panama City Beach

We work on a no-fee guarantee. If we do not recover VA disability benefits for you, you do not pay.

The VA evaluates hypertension based on systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings. Hypertension ratings may include:

10%

• Diastolic pressure predominantly 100 or more
• Systolic pressure predominantly 160 or more
• Requires continuous medication

20%

• Diastolic pressure predominantly 110 or more
• Systolic pressure predominantly 200 or more

40%

• Diastolic pressure predominantly 120 or more

60%

• Diastolic pressure predominantly 130 or more

Uncontrolled hypertension increases risk of:

• Stroke
• Heart attack
• Kidney damage
• Heart failure
• Aneurysm

Proper documentation is critical to securing the correct disability rating.

The VA rates most heart conditions using METs (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) testing. METs measure the amount of energy expended during physical activity. The lower the MET level at which symptoms occur, the higher the disability rating. Heart conditions may be rated at:

• 0%
• 10%
• 30%
• 60%
• 100%

The rating depends on:

• Symptoms during physical activity
• Episodes of heart failure
• Ejection fraction percentages
• Hospitalizations
• Limitations in daily activity

Veterans may qualify for:

Total Disability Individual Unemployability (TDIU)

If heart disease prevents substantially gainful employment, you may qualify for TDIU, which pays at the 100% disability rate even if your combined rating is lower.

Temporary Total Disability Ratings

The VA may assign temporary 100% ratings following:

• Heart attacks
• Pacemaker implantation
• Cardiac defibrillator placement
• Coronary bypass surgery
• Heart valve replacement
• Heart transplant

These temporary ratings typically last 1 to 3 months before reevaluation.