Body system: Cardiovascular SystemRegulation: 38 CFR § 4.104DBQ: DBQ CARDIO Heart
Valvular heart disease affects the heart's valves that control blood flow between chambers, and can include damage from rheumatic fever. The VA rates this condition based on how much physical activity (measured in METs - units of energy your body uses) triggers heart failure symptoms like shortness of breath, chest pain, or extreme fatigue. Ratings range from 10% for symptoms during moderate exercise (like mowing the lawn) up to 100% for symptoms during very light activities (like slow walking or getting dressed).
Rating levels
- 100% — You qualify if you have chronic congestive heart failure (when your heart can't pump blood effectively, causing fluid buildup in your lungs and body), or if very light activities like slow walking cause you to experience shortness of breath, extreme tiredness, chest pain, dizziness, or fainting. You also qualify if tests show your heart's main pumping chamber (left ventricle) is working at less than 30 percent of normal capacity.
- 60% — You qualify for this rating if you've had more than one episode of acute congestive heart failure (when your heart can't pump blood effectively, causing fluid buildup) in the past year. You also qualify if light to moderate physical activity like walking 2-3 mph or doing light housework causes you to experience shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain, dizziness, or fainting. Additionally, you qualify if tests show your heart's left ventricle (main pumping chamber) has reduced function with an ejection fraction between 30-50 percent, meaning your heart only pumps out 30-50% of the blood it contains with each beat instead of the normal 55-70%.
- 30% — You qualify for this rating if moderate physical activity causes you to experience shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain, dizziness, or fainting. Moderate activity means things like walking briskly, climbing stairs, or doing yard work that makes your heart work harder than light activities but isn't extremely strenuous. You also qualify if medical tests like an EKG, echocardiogram, or chest X-ray show that your heart's main pumping chamber isn't working properly and has become enlarged or thickened.
- 10% — You qualify for this rating if moderate physical activities like jogging, climbing several flights of stairs, or doing heavy yard work cause you to experience shortness of breath (dyspnea), unusual tiredness (fatigue), chest pain (angina), dizziness, or fainting (syncope). You also qualify if you need to take heart medication every day to manage this condition.