Valvular heart disease (including rheumatic heart disease) DC 7000
VA rates it under diagnostic code 7000 in 38 CFR 4.104. Body system: Heart & blood pressure.
How VA rates it
The schedule allows 4 rating levels for this code: 10%, 30%, 60%, and 100%. VA picks the level whose criteria best match your symptoms and records.
Rated under the general rating formula for diseases of the heart (§ 4.104).
Source: 38 CFR 4.104 on eCFR. Read the full criteria there before you file.
Rating levels and criteria
This code is rated under the GENERAL RATING FORMULA FOR DISEASES OF THE HEART (38 CFR 4.104).
The schedule rates this as DC 7001 (Endocarditis) or DC 7002 (Pericarditis).
| Rating | What the schedule says |
|---|---|
| 100% | Workload of 3.0 METs or less results in heart failure symptoms |
| 60% | Workload of 3.1-5.0 METs results in heart failure symptoms |
| 30% | Workload of 5.1-7.0 METs results in heart failure symptoms; or evidence of cardiac hypertrophy or dilatation confirmed by echocardiogram or equivalent (e.g., multigated acquisition scan or magnetic resonance imaging) |
| 10% | Workload of 7.1-10.0 METs results in heart failure symptoms; or continuous medication required for control |
Criteria text from 38 CFR 4.104, eCFR as of November 10, 2026. The eCFR is the official source if anything here differs.
Presumptive rules that include it
If your service matches one of these, VA presumes the link to service and you do not need a medical opinion connecting it.
Chronic diseases that show up within a year of discharge
Covered: Endocarditis and valvular heart disease.
Time limit: At least 10% disabling within 1 year of discharge.
Who qualifies: 90 days or more of continuous active service during a war period or after December 31, 1946, and the disease reached at least 10% disabling within 1 year of leaving service (3 years for tuberculosis and Hansen's disease, 7 years for multiple sclerosis).
38 CFR 3.307(a)(3) and 3.309(a). Sources: 38 CFR 3.307; 38 CFR 3.309; VA M21-1, Part V, Subpart iii, Chapter 2, Section B: Conditions of the auditory system
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Rating schedule data as of November 10, 2026. Secondary and presumptive links checked November 13, 2026.
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