← All secondary claims · Ratings by condition
A secondary claim is a condition caused or worsened by one the VA has already service-connected. The causation fight is already half-won — the VA agreed your hypertension came from service; the question is only whether it caused the heart conditions. That's a medical question with a recognized answer.
The connection
Untreated or long-standing high blood pressure damages the heart and vessels — hypertensive heart disease, and elevated stroke risk, follow it. Notably: when hypertension is service-connected and a stroke comes later, VA guidance directs raters to treat the stroke as presumptively secondary. If you are an HTN-rated veteran who has had a stroke or TIA, that is a claim, and an active stroke rates at 100%.
How the VA rates heart conditions
METs-based: 60% = workload of 3–5 METs causes symptoms · 30% = 5–7 METs · 10% = 7–10 METs. 100% for chronic CHF. Documented cardiac event or procedure rates on residuals.
Full criteria and evidence guide: VA rating for heart condition.
What the claim needs — the three legs
- The anchor: service connection for the hypertension (see how that condition is rated). Not connected yet? File it first — a secondary claim needs something to attach to.
- A current diagnosis of heart conditions — the VA rates diagnosed conditions, not symptoms.
- The medical link. An opinion stating it is "at least as likely as not" that the hypertension caused or aggravated the heart conditions. The VA's own C&P examiner supplies this free in most cases; your own doctor can too. A paid independent opinion is the last resort, not the first move.
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