Body system: Infectious Diseases, Immune Disorders, and Nutritional DeficienciesRegulation: 38 CFR § 4.88bDBQ: DBQ INFECT Infectious Disease (Other than HIV-related illness, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Tuberculosis)
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease where your immune system mistakenly attacks your own healthy tissues, potentially affecting your joints, skin, kidneys, heart, and other organs. The VA rates lupus based on how often you have flare-ups (exacerbations) and how severe they are. Ratings range from 10% for occasional flares to 100% for frequent, severe episodes that seriously impact your overall health.
Rating levels
- 100% — To qualify, your lupus must be in an acute phase with frequent flare-ups (exacerbations) that severely impair your overall health. This is the 100% level. Note that a rating under this code is not combined with a rating under DC 7809 (discoid lupus, the skin form): the VA rates one or the other.
- 60% — You need to have lupus flare-ups (periods when your symptoms get worse) that last for at least a week, and these flare-ups must happen 2 to 3 times each year. During these exacerbations, your lupus symptoms become more severe and interfere with your daily activities for that entire week or longer.
- 10% — Your systemic lupus has flare-ups (periods when symptoms get worse) only once or twice per year, or you've had ongoing lupus symptoms at some point during the past 2 years. The flare-ups are relatively infrequent and don't severely impact your daily activities most of the time.
- Note — Systemic lupus can be rated under the levels above, or by rating each residual under its own body system and combining those ratings. The VA uses whichever method gives the higher rating.