Exposure to severe stress, toxins, and trauma all make veterans more likely to develop heart conditions. That’s why it’s important to understand the VA disability ratings for conditions like arrhythmia and tachycardia.
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Your military service may have impacted your heart, mind, and body. If you have an irregular heartbeat, a heart murmur, or other heart condition following your military service, read on to understand the VA disability rating for heart arrhythmia, the tachycardia VA rating, and the VA rating for heart murmurs.
In this article about the VA disability rating for heart arrhythmia and tachycardia VA ratings:
What are arrhythmia and tachycardia?
A heart arrhythmia is an improper beating of the heart. It could be that the heart is beating irregularly, too fast, or too slow. Arrhythmia symptoms may include a fluttering in the chest, chest pain, fainting, tiredness, or dizziness. It’s caused by heart-related conditions, like a weakened or damaged heart.
Various types of heart conditions are arrhythmias. The most common type of arrhythmia is atrial fibrillation (AFib). AFib causes the heart to beat irregularly and faster than normal.
AFib is a type of tachycardia, which is the term used to describe conditions where your heart beats too quickly. It’s normal for your heartbeat to speed up when you’re exerting yourself, but veterans with sinus tachycardia have a rapid heartbeat (usually around 100 beats per minute at rest) beyond their level of exertion.
Tachycardia symptoms include chest pain, dizziness, rapid pulse, fainting, or shortness of breath. Arrhythmia can cause tachycardia. It can also be caused by high or low blood pressure or thyroid issues, among other things.
Arrhythmia and tachycardia in veterans
Veterans are considered more prone than the general population to arrhythmia and tachycardia. This connection is often because of the relationships between these heart conditions and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
About 7% of veterans experience PTSD, which is higher than the civilian average. PTSD is the fourth most commonly service-connected condition for VA disability benefits. More than 1.3 million veterans receive compensation from the VA for PTSD.
Research has found that people with PTSD are more likely to experience heart conditions, including arrhythmia.
There also is a relationship between exposure to Agent Orange or other toxic chemicals and heart disease, making those veterans more prone to these and other heart conditions. If you’re a veteran who was exposed to Agent Orange and developed a heart condition, you will not have the burden of proving a medical nexus. In other words, in such a case, the VA will automatically assume your condition was caused by your service.
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VA disability rating for heart arrhythmia
Veterans can receive VA disability benefits for heart arrhythmia resulting from their military service.
Heart arrhythmia is rated using the General Rating Formula for Diseases of the Heart in the Schedule of Ratings. The rating depends on heart failure symptoms and your score on the MET test. According to the Schedule of Ratings, one MET is the “energy cost of standing quietly at rest and represents an oxygen uptake of 3.5 milliliters per kilogram of body weight per minute.”
| Description | VA Rating | Monthly payment (vet only) |
|---|---|---|
| Workload of 3.0 METs or less results in heart failure symptoms | 100% | $3,831.30 |
| Workload of 3.1–5.0 METs results in heart failure symptoms | 60% | $1,395.93 |
| Workload of 5.1–7.0 METs results in heart failure symptoms; or evidence of cardiac hypertrophy or dilatation confirmed by echocardiogram or equivalent (e.g., multigated acquisition scan or magnetic resonance imaging) | 30% | $537.42 |
| Workload of 7.1–10.0 METs results in heart failure symptoms; or continuous medication required for control | 10% | $175.51 |
Therefore, the VA disability rating for heart arrhythmia can range from 10% to 100% depending on the severity of your condition.
Tachycardia VA rating
Veterans can receive VA disability benefits for tachycardia resulting from their military service.
Tachycardia is rated under DC 7009, 7010, and 7011 in the Schedule of Ratings, depending on the person’s symptoms and heart functioning.
If the person requires a pacemaker or other heart surgery, they will receive a temporary 100% VA disability rating for one month after hospital discharge. Then, their condition will be rated using the General Ratings Formula for Diseases of the Heart as described above.
Otherwise, the tachycardia VA rating is 30% or 10%, depending on the number of treatments or interventions the person needs in a year. Treatments or interventions include surgeries or continued use of oral medications.
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VA disability rating for heart murmur
Another common type of heart condition is a heart murmur. A heart murmur is an extra sound, like a whooshing or swishing, that doctors can hear when your heart beats. Murmurs are related to how the blood flows through your heart. They can sometimes be a sign of arrhythmia but may also be unrelated.
The VA uses the same ratings for arrhythmia and heart murmurs. They’re both rated using the General Rating Formula for Diseases of the Heart in the Schedule of Ratings, as described above.
TDIU for arrhythmia and tachycardia
A veteran can be awarded total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) if they can’t maintain “substantially gainful employment” because of service-connected conditions, including heart conditions.
TDIU pays at the same level as a 100% disability rating, even when the veteran’s rating is below 100%. This may be especially relevant for veterans who can’t work after having a heart-related surgery but no longer qualify for 100% disability.
Veterans will typically be eligible for TDIU if they have:
- At least one service-connected disability rated at 60% or more disabling OR
- Two or more service-connected disabilities with at least one rated at 40% or more disabling and a combined rating of 70% or more
How our VA-accredited attorneys can help
If you have a service-connected condition that affects your ability to live and work comfortably, you deserve the full VA disability compensation you are owed. Contact Woods and Woods today for a free consultation to see how we can help. You only pay us if we win.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The VA rates arrhythmia under the diagnostic code for General Diseases of the Heart. The rating depends on your symptoms and your score on a test measuring your resting heart rate. This condition can be rated at 100%, 60%, 30%, or 10%.
The VA rating for tachycardia is 30% or 10%, depending on the number of interventions necessary in a given year to keep the heart functioning.
Neil Woods
VA disability attorney
Woods & Woods
Neil Woods is the firm’s owner and president. He received his law degree from Western Michigan University.
