Get Social Security Disability & SSI: Heart Disease & Attack

Legal Author - Travis Hansen, Esq.
Updated - September 30, 2025

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Heart Disease Evidence In A Social Security & SSI Disability Case

Heart disease is one of the most frequently filed types of Social Security and SSI disability cases. It is also one of the most significant medical conditions in America. Heart disease causes about 650,000 deaths in America per year - more than any other medical condition. Heart condition causes more deaths in woman than all types of cancer combined. Heart disease is often used interchangeably with a cardiovascular disease. However, heart disease is a group of conditions that abnormally affect the heart itself, and cardiovascular disease is a group of conditions that abnormally affect both the heart and your vascular system (veins and arteries). Both diseases overlap since the heart and vascular system are connected. There are four types of heart disease:

1. Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) (also called ischemic heart disease) is the most common type of heart disease. It is either damage to or disease in your heart's blood vessels. Most commonly, it is atherosclerosis (cholesterol or plaque) in the heart's arteries.
2. Congenital Heart Disease is a structural abnormality of the heart that develops before birth.
3. Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) is a structural abnormality of the heart that results in the heart being unable to pump a sufficient amount to blood to the body. There are two types of CHF: 1) predominant systolic dysfunction (heart contracts abnormally and cannot expel sufficient blood) and 2) predominant diastolic dysfunction (heart cannot relax properly and fill with blood normally).
4. Heart Arrhythmia is a structural abnormality of the heart that causes the heart to beat irregularly.

For Social Security, your heart disease diagnostic and treatment records must show significant and disabling findings. Heart disease is diagnosed with the following: echocardiogram, electrocardiogram, angiogram, cardiac catheterization, Holter monitor, chest x-ray, stress test, and blood tests. Generally, Social Security considers your heart disease disabling if your diagnostic testing shows marked or severe findings or surgery is needed. Treatment includes medications such as ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, diuretics to lower blood pressure, statins to control cholesterol, and tPAs to dissolve blood clots. Surgeries include angioplasty (balloon widening a narrow vein), stenting (tube widening a narrow vein), atherectomy (vacuuming plaque from the vein), and artery grafting (replacing a narrow vein).

It is known to Social Security that heart disease can cause significant disabling symptoms. Usual symptoms of heart disease are chest pain (angina), fatigue, shortness of breath, weakness, lightheadedness, and edema. Heart disease can cause a heart attack (myocardial infarction) if an artery is blocked so that blood and oxygen cannot reach the heart. Heart disease can cause a stroke if an artery is blocked so that blood and oxygen cannot reach the brain - Stroke.

Heart Disease Social Security & SSI Listings

You can satisfy one or more of the following listings:

1. Chronic heart failure - Adult - 4.02 and Child - 104.02,
2. Ischemic heart disease - Adult - 4.03,
3. Recurrent arrhythmias - Adult - 4.05 and Child - 104.05,
4. Congenital heart disease - Adult - 4.06 and Child - 104.06,
5. Heart transplant - Adult - 4.09, and Child - 104.09,
6. Aortic aneurysm of a major branch - Adult - 4.10, and
7. Rheumatic heart disease - Child - 104.13.

Compassionate Allowance & TERI Cases

If you have very severe heart disease or need a heart transplant, your case can qualify as a compassionate allowance or TERI case. Social Security expedites either - Expedited Cases. A compassionate allowance case - Social Security agrees your heart disease clearly meets the disability standards. A TERI case - Social Security agrees you have a terminal condition.

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