A condition affecting one or more heart valves that may disrupt blood flow through the heart.
Medical records that document the confirmed diagnosis are the foundation of a rating. For the initial 100% period, records showing an active infection with cardiac involvement and the dates therapy began and ended are key. After that, VA looks for physical examination findings alongside an echocardiogram, Doppler echocardiogram, cardiac catheterization, or equivalent imaging such as a multigated acquisition scan or MRI showing cardiac hypertrophy or dilatation.
Exercise test results that record the MET level at which your symptoms appear directly support the rating criteria. If exercise testing cannot be done for medical reasons, a medical examiner can estimate your activity tolerance in METs based on specific examples, such as slow stair climbing. Records of continuous prescription medication to control the condition support the 10% level. Statements from you or people who know you describing when symptoms like breathlessness, fatigue, dizziness, or syncope occur during daily activities can help connect your functional limits to the MET thresholds in the rating formula.
Conditions that are often caused or made worse by this one. If you have any of these, they may be claimable as secondary service connection.
