Coronary Artery Disease vs Hypertension: VA Rating Comparison
How the VA rates Coronary Artery Disease (diagnostic code 7005) compared with Hypertension (diagnostic code 7101), under 38 CFR Part 4. This is a factual side-by-side of the rating criteria, the kind veterans look up when two conditions sound similar.
Rating criteria side by side
Coronary Artery Disease
| 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. |
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| 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. |
Hypertension
| 60% | Your bottom blood pressure number (diastolic pressure) is usually 130 or higher when measured by medical professionals. This represents severely high blood pressure that puts significant strain on your heart and blood vessels, typically requiring multiple medications and frequent medical monitoring. |
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| 40% | Your blood pressure readings consistently show a diastolic number (the bottom number when blood pressure is measured) of 120 or higher most of the time. This represents severely high blood pressure that puts significant strain on your heart and blood vessels, requiring ongoing medical management and potentially limiting your daily activities. |
| 20% | To qualify for this rating level, your blood pressure readings must consistently show either a bottom number (diastolic pressure) of 110 or higher, or a top number (systolic pressure) of 200 or higher. The word "predominantly" means that most of your blood pressure measurements over time need to reach these high levels, not just occasional readings. |
| 10% | You qualify for this rating if your blood pressure readings consistently show the bottom number (diastolic pressure) at 100 or higher, or the top number (systolic pressure) at 160 or higher. You also qualify if you previously had consistently high diastolic readings of 100 or more and now need to take blood pressure medication daily to keep it controlled, even if your current readings are lower due to the medication. |
Criteria are summarized in plain language. The controlling text is the Schedule for Rating Disabilities, 38 CFR Part 4. Full criteria for each are on the Coronary Artery Disease and Hypertension code pages.
Can both be rated at the same time?
The VA generally does not rate the same disability twice. Under the anti-pyramiding rule (38 CFR 4.14), two conditions are rated separately only when they cause distinct, non-overlapping symptoms. When the symptoms overlap, the VA assigns a single rating under whichever code best fits. Whether Coronary Artery Disease and Hypertension can be rated separately depends on the symptoms documented in the evidence. See the pyramiding guide.
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