VASRD 7006 · Cardiovascular System
Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack) VA Disability Rating
A myocardial infarction is a heart attack: blood flow to part of the heart muscle is cut off and that muscle is damaged. DC 7006 assigns 100 percent during the infarction and for three months following it, provided laboratory tests confirm it. After those three months the evaluation is reset under the General Rating Formula for Diseases of the Heart, which measures how much exertion your heart tolerates before heart failure symptoms appear.
VA Rating Tiers
| Rating | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 100% | A total rating runs during the heart attack itself and for three months afterwards, confirmed by lab tests. Once that window closes, 100 percent requires heart failure symptoms at 3.0 METs or less. |
| 60% | After the three-month window, heart failure symptoms appear at a workload between 3.1 and 5.0 METs. |
| 30% | After the three-month window, heart failure symptoms appear at a workload between 5.1 and 7.0 METs, or imaging confirms the heart is thickened or enlarged. |
| 10% | After the three-month window, heart failure symptoms appear at a workload between 7.1 and 10.0 METs, or continuous medication is required to control it. |
How the VA Evaluates Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack)
DC 7006 carries one criterion of its own: 100 percent during and for three months following the myocardial infarction, confirmed by laboratory tests. Thereafter the schedule directs the General Rating Formula for Diseases of the Heart, stated in METs (metabolic equivalents, a measure of exertion) — 100 percent where a workload of 3.0 METs or less results in heart failure symptoms, 60 percent at 3.1-5.0 METs, 30 percent at 5.1-7.0 METs or where an echocardiogram or equivalent study (for example, a multigated acquisition scan or MRI) shows cardiac hypertrophy or dilatation, and 10 percent at 7.1-10.0 METs or where continuous medication is required for control. The laboratory confirmation does two jobs: it establishes the infarction the code names, and it fixes the event the three-month period runs from.
Veterans service-connected
~1,100 veterans
Typical rating awarded
~60%
Vetrify editorial estimates informed by VA published claims data (VBA Annual Benefits Report) and the VA rating schedule — not official VA statistics.
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Strategy Tips
- •Make sure the laboratory results confirming the infarction are in the file, since DC 7006's 100 percent criterion is written as 'confirmed by laboratory tests' and the three-month period runs from that confirmed event.
- •Plan for the evaluation to be reassessed once three months have passed, and have exercise testing that records a METs workload available for that stage, since the General Rating Formula governs from then on.
- •If cardiac medication was started after the infarction and is taken continuously to control the condition, keep the prescription record, since continuous medication required for control is its own route to the 10 percent tier.
C&P Exam Pitfalls
- •An exam held after the three-month period with no METs testing in it, which leaves the 100 and 60 percent tiers of the General Rating Formula — the two with no alternative to a METs finding — with nothing to measure against.
- •Laboratory confirmation of the infarction absent from the record, so the event underlying the 100 percent criterion is documented only as reported history.
- •Cardiac imaging performed during the hospitalization but never repeated, leaving the post-recovery hypertrophy or dilatation question unanswered.
Common Filing Mistakes
- •Treating the 100 percent period as the end state — the schedule shifts to the General Rating Formula after three months, and that stage is supported by exercise testing and cardiac imaging, not by the admission records.
- •Submitting the discharge summary alone, without the follow-up cardiology records that show what cardiac function looks like after recovery.
Onset Patterns
- •The schedule treats a myocardial infarction as a dated event rather than a gradual course: the 100 percent evaluation attaches to the infarction and to the three months that follow it.
- •After that window closes, what the criteria read is residual exertional capacity in METs and cardiac imaging — so a claim that stops at the hospital record stops at the point the code moves on.
Common questions about Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack)
- Is Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack) a VA-rated disability?
- Yes. The VA rates Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack) under VASRD diagnostic code 7006 (Cardiovascular System). A myocardial infarction is a heart attack: blood flow to part of the heart muscle is cut off and that muscle is damaged. DC 7006 assigns 100 percent during the infarction and for three months following it,…
- What VA disability rating can I get for Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack)?
- Possible VA ratings for Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack) are 100%, 60%, 30%, 10%. Examples: 100%: A total rating runs during the heart attack itself and for three months afterwards, confirmed by lab tests. Once that window closes, 100 percent requires heart failure symptoms at 3.0 METs or less.; 60%: After the thr…
- What's the typical VA rating awarded for Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack)?
- Vetrify estimates the typical rating awarded for Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack) at around 60%, based on VA claims data and the rating schedule. An estimated 1,100 veterans are service-connected for Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack).
- What evidence helps prove Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack) for VA disability?
- Common evidence for a Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack) claim includes a current medical diagnosis from a qualified provider, documentation of an in-service event or exposure, and statements describing functional impact.
- What mistakes should veterans avoid when claiming Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack)?
- Common pitfalls when filing for Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack): Treating the 100 percent period as the end state — the schedule shifts to the General Rating Formula after three months, and that stage is supported by exercise testing and cardiac imaging, not by the admission records.; Submitting the discharge sum…
Official sources
- 38 CFR § 4.104 — Schedule of ratings — cardiovascular system (Diagnostic Code 7006)
Rating criteria on this page are an educational summary of the cited regulation — the eCFR text is authoritative. See how Vetrify derives its numbers.
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