hypertension Hypertension Rating Regulation

[olenavygoat]

Would anyone happen to know or know exactly where I can find the USC Title 38 regulation regarding rating criteria for hypertension/vascular disease? I went back and looked at my responses from the VA and just now caught that they denied me using the criteria set forth by the 1/98 regulation change. So since in the same letter it said I could be rated using the old criteria, I kinda need to know what it is first.

Something else I found out that's very interesting that maybe some folks with PTSD or a Major depression disorder would want to know is that these condition can lead to hypertension and heart disease. You may file for service connections claiming it as a "secondary service connection". So if they've denied you in the past for insufficient evidence in your service medical record, you can get it rated using this method!

Thanks!

[Berta]

Secondary is always possible on these claims, such as :

http://www.va.gov/vetapp98/files3/9822185.txt

But many are denied and the BVA denials give a good indication of why a claim like this can be denied or could succeed.

What you need is under the Schedule of Cardiac ratings here:

http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-...1.0.1.1.5.2.101

I cant open it- part of sattelitte interent must be down due to weather-but I am curious as to a 1/98 regulation change?

Vascular rating can involve many issues- Periphernal neuropathy -for example- can be due to vascular involvement. Atherosclerosis , as a vascuar condition, is another condition,

Vascular eye disease- another potential disability-

Did you mean you were denied, but have now re-opened your claim?

[sbrewer]

Hi,

Just wondering...if you filed hypertension or heart disease secondary to depression, would the C&P dr. be a cardiologist or phychiatrist?

Mental Health professionals do acknowledge the link, but I don't think cardiologist do. Kinda strange that one would and the other would not link the two.

sbrewer

[jessejames]

More and more Cardiologists are coming around since there is a lot of evidence out there now that PTSD, stress, anxiety etc can at the least aggravate Hypertension, some will say it can cause it. I didn't have any problem at all when I filed for Hypertension secondary to PTSD and the anxiety that PTSD causes. My Cardiologist was the Chief of Cardiology at the VAMC where I go. I guess the VARO didn't think a dissenting opinion from a Cardiologist below this Chief would work, so it was awarded right away, 10%....it has gotten worse, but with increased medication it is under control. I never filed for a rating increase since I am at 100% plus 70% now and it wouldn't affect payments.

[Berta]

Jesse- 100 % plus 70%- is the 70 all for one disability independent of the other?

What I am thinking is SMC- Special Monthly Comp-

maybe you get this already-

One 100% SC Plus another independent SC at 60 % or more is one way to get Special Monthly Compensation.

PS_ I 'temporarily swiped' a VA library book and sent the book to the VARO as evidence regarding a claim of heart disease secondary to PTSD for a past claim-1995-but they awarded on the main claim though (1151)making that claim a moot issue.

(they sent me back the book and told me to return it to the VAMC-they never even considered it-do to the award on the other claim.

The book was written by Dr. Robert Eliot- at the time he was the Chief of Cardiology at Gainesville VAMC.

His opinion is that stress and anxiety definitely can cause heart disease.

He had autopsied hundreds of combat vets who died in country (Vietnam) and was stunned by the high levels of atherosclerosis they had. He opined that in men so young the only reason could be the stress and anxiety of combat.

His book is well supported by his findings-

but just like Dr. Boscarino-

the VA does not like to admit most of the time,even when noted doctors say it, the link between heart, HBP, and PTSD.

At the time of my heart-PTSD claim- there was the Kobi earthquake in Japan.

I also sent printouts as to the Japanese medical community was stunned at the sudden death rate due to heart disease from anxiety-even people with no prior heart disease were dropping dead from the stress of the earthquake.

It can be done but VA wants a good medical rationale from the doc as to the specific link in each case.

Edited June 26, 2006 by Berta

[sbrewer]

Jesse,

If you don't mind me asking, do you have heart disease as well as hypertension?

Also, do you know if diabetes is linked to depression?

Thanks,

sbrewer

[jessejames]

Berta, yes PTSD is 100% P&T and then I have 70% others...which does thankfully equal to the VA's math of the extra 60%, so I get SMC.

I don't have Heart Disease and I think it's because my Hypertension and my Tryglycerides, Cholesterol etc was caught and treatment began early by this same VA Cardiologist. I take 1500 MG of Extended Release Niacin (Niaspan) with 1 - 145 MG Tricor and a Baby aspirin daily. I have been on these 3 medicines for years and they brought my Tryglycerides down from 650 to 140-150, and my Chloresterol was never really high, but the bad cholestrol was too high. Now my total Chlorestrol is around 150 and the bad is down to nearly normal. Heart disease did not run in my family, both grandmothers lived to be over 90, one grandpa was shot when he was about 45-50 and the other lived a long life. Both parents died from lung cancer from smoking all their life.