Coronary heart disease—also known as ischemic heart disease or coronary artery disease—is caused by the build-up of fatty deposits (plaque) inside the blood vessels of the heart (arteries). Too much plaque in your arteries (atherosclerosis) can cause your arteries to harden and narrow, a condition called arteriosclerosis. As a result, blood flow to the heart is restricted, causing pain and shortness of breath. If left untreated, coronary heart disease can lead to a heart attack.
Many people with coronary heart disease are able to manage their symptoms with lifestyle adjustments and medication. For example, people who develop a myocardial bridge—an abnormality where part of your artery runs through the heart muscle instead of over it—may not notice any symptoms at all. But for others, coronary heart disease can significantly interfere with their ability to work full-time, meaning they may qualify for SSI or SSDI disability benefits.
Heart problems are some of the most common impairments that Social Security claims examiners encounter when reviewing disability applications. As with all medical conditions, you'll have the best chances of getting benefits if you have documentation of ongoing medical treatment for symptoms, such as angina (chest pain caused by reduced blood flow) and dyspnea (trouble breathing) that cause severe functional limitations.
You can qualify for disability benefits for coronary heart disease in one of two ways—by meeting the requirements of Social Security's "Blue Book" listing for ischemic heart disease or by demonstrating that your heart condition has reduced your exertional abilities to the point that you're unable to work full-time at any job.
Social Security will evaluate your coronary heart disease based on the current objective medical evidence in your medical record and any other evidence they may receive. In cases where there is no documentation of your condition in the medical records, or the documentation covers too short of a time period, the agency may order a consultative examination to help evaluate your impairment. If you haven't had prescribed treatment or medications, you will have a difficult time showing that your coronary heart disease meets the listing for ischemic heart disease.
Listing 4.04 states that you must have one of the following symptoms due to myocardial ischemia (reduced blood flow to the heart):
Make sure you let your doctor know about all of your cardiovascular symptoms so that they can be included in your clinical notes. Mention any chest pain or discomfort, where it's located, and whether it interferes with your ability to concentrate or complete tasks. If you have problems walking certain distances without shortness of breath or fatigue, be sure that information makes it into your doctor's notes.
It's not enough to meet the listing simply by having the symptoms described above. You'll also need to provide objective medical evidence of abnormal heart functioning, documented by a stress test, "ischemic episodes" (usually requiring hospitalization), or imaging results.
Abnormal stress test results mean that you performed an exercise tolerance test at a workload equal to 5 METs (metabolic equivalents) or less, resulting in at least one of the following abnormalities:
Ischemic episodes are periods where blood flow to the heart or brain is briefly cut off. You can meet listing 4.04 if you've had three separate ischemic episodes within a consecutive 12-month period. Each episode must require revascularization (restoration of blood flow, often by way of a stent), or be unable to be revascularized. Revascularization usually means that you've had an angioplasty or bypass surgery.
Abnormal imaging results are an acceptable method of meeting the listing criteria if a medical consultant who works for the SSA determines that an exercise tolerance test would be too risky for you. In this instance, the agency will accept an angiography or other medically acceptable imaging demonstrating coronary artery disease instead of a stress test. The angiographic evidence must show 50% to 70% narrowing of a coronary artery that has not been bypassed, resulting in very serious limitations in your ability to complete your activities of daily living.
The above criteria for meeting listing 4.04 are very technical and hard to decipher for most non-medical professionals. If you're not sure whether or not you have the required evidence to meet the listing, ask your doctor for help interpreting your test results.
Even if you don't meet the listing requirements for coronary heart disease, you might still be eligible for disability benefits. As part of the next stage in the five-step disability determination process, when the SSA doesn't find that you meet a listing, the agency must then consider whether your heart impairment has reduced your capacity to work. If Social Security decides that you're no longer physically or mentally able to perform your past job or any other job, you'll be awarded disability benefits.
The process by which Social Security determines what you can and can't do at work is called assessing your residual functional capacity (RFC). The agency will review your medical records and any doctors' opinions for evidence of work-related limitations, such as restrictions on how much weight you can lift and carry or how long you can be on your feet before you need to sit. These strength-related restrictions are called "exertional limitations," and are classified into five categories according to physical demands.
For example, if you can lift up to 20 pounds and stand or walk for six out of eight hours in a typical workday, your RFC will limit you to the "light exertional level." Many retail or service industry jobs are considered light work. But if you can only lift up to 10 pounds and can't be on your feet for more than two hours total, your RFC will limit you to the "sedentary exertional level," which includes most desk jobs or assembly line work.
Other limitations on the types of jobs you can perform, like needing to take extra rest breaks or elevate your legs, are called "non-exertional limitations." Having enough non-exertional limitations in your RFC can rule out even the simplest, sedentary jobs, which is sufficient for Social Security to find that you're disabled. Claimants 50 years of age and older who can't do their past work and don't have transferable skills may qualify for benefits even if they can physically perform easier jobs using a special set of rules called the medical-vocational grid.
Social Security will be looking for a "longitudinal" clinical record of your coronary heart disease. This means you should have had at least three months of treatment when you apply for benefits. The basic documentation you should provide the agency includes detailed reports of your history, physical examinations, laboratory tests, and any treatment that has been prescribed to you, as well as your response to such treatment.
Your medical records should include ECG (electrocardiograph or electrocardiogram) results. An electrocardiograph records electrical impulses of your heart onto a strip of paper known as an electrocardiogram or tracing. Your ECG results may show that your heart muscle is not receiving enough oxygen, resulting in ischemia. ECGs may be performed while you're at rest or during exercise,
Be sure that Social Security also receives the results of any exercise tolerance tests performed. Exercise testing is the most commonly used testing for determining the presence of myocardial ischemia and for providing an estimate of your aerobic capacity (a measure of how efficiently your body uses oxygen in the blood). If possible, you should have results from a recent exercise test in your records, since the SSA generally considers exercise test results to be valuable for only 12 months after they've been performed.
If you're taking medication for coronary heart disease, tell your doctor about any side effects you experience, such as lethargy, headaches, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, depression, memory loss, or blurred vision. Social Security must consider how any side effects from prescribed medications can affect your functioning.
Veterans who have service-connected heart disease may qualify for a disability rating from the VA. According to the General Rating Formula for diseases of the heart, your VA disability percentage will be assigned mainly based on the number of METs—metabolic equivalents—that you can sustain before symptoms of heart failure begin to appear:
Workload of 3.0 METs or less results in failure |
100% disability rating |
Workload of 3.1-5.0 METs results in failure |
60% disability rating |
Workload of 5.1-7.0 METs results in failure, or you have evidence of cardiac hypertrophy or dilatation confirmed by echocardiogram or equivalent (such as a multigated acquisition scan or magnetic resonance imaging) |
30% disability rating |
Workload of 7.1-10.0 METs results in failure or continuous medication required for control |
10% disability rating |
Angina, fatigue, fainting, dizziness, heart arrhythmias, palpitations, and breathlessness are considered to be symptoms of heart failure according to the ratings schedule above. The VA also assigns "temporary" 100% disability ratings to veterans following certain cardiac ("open heart" ) surgeries or hospitalizations, such as for sustained ventricular arrhythmias, large artery aneurysms, and pacemaker implantations.
Neither the VA nor the SSA pays disability benefits based on the kind of medical condition you have. If you're approved for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), you'll receive a monthly payment amount that's calculated based on your earnings record, and if you're approved for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), you'll receive a flat rate (the "federal benefit rate") minus any countable income you have in that month.
For 2025, the federal benefit rate for SSI is $967 per month, although many states provide a modest supplemental amount in addition to the federal baseline. SSDI benefits max out at $4,018 per month, although the average amount is much less, at $1,580.
VA compensation is calculated based on a combination of your percentage disability rating and your living situation. For example, in 2025, a married veteran with one dependent child and a disability rating of 30% will receive $648.42 monthly from the VA, while a veteran with the same family structure and an 80% rating would be entitled to $2,340.89 per month.
An easy way to apply for Social Security disability benefits is by using Social Security's online web portal. You can also file a claim over the phone by calling the national disability hotline at 800-772-1213 (TTY 800-325-0078) between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. If you'd prefer to apply in person, you can make an appointment at your nearest Social Security field office.
Veterans can apply for benefits by submitting VA Form 21-526, Application for Disability Compensation and Related Compensation Benefits. The VA encourages veterans to submit this form electronically, but you can also print it out and bring it with you to your regional VA field office. Learn more about how to apply in our article on filing for veterans' disability benefits.
Few applicants seek legal help until they've been denied. Most Social Security disability claims aren't approved on the first try, and many veterans aren't immediately awarded compensation from the VA. This is frequently because claimants who complete applications on their own don't always have the right idea of what makes a strong disability case.
Claims for heart conditions in particular can be challenging to document properly. Don't get too discouraged if you receive a denial letter from the SSA or VA. Read the letter carefully to see what evidence you might have missed so you can strengthen your claim on appeal. If you come across terminology you're unfamiliar with, you may be able to cross-reference those terms with the information in some of our additional articles on cardiovascular disorders:
You aren't required to hire a disability attorney to appeal a denial either at the VA or the SSA, but it's generally a good idea. An experienced lawyer can help you complete the appeal paperwork on time, gather any missing medical records that support your claim, and advocate on your behalf in front of a VA tribunal or Social Security administrative law judge. Disability lawyers work on contingency—meaning they get paid only if you win benefits—so you'll have little, if any, out of pocket expenses.
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