Please reference the Terms of Use and the Supplemental Terms for specific information related to your state. Your heart needs to be performing at 30% capacity to qualify as totally disabled. Copyright 2022 Social Security Disability Resource Center - All rights reserved. Exercise testing is the most commonly used testing for determining the presence of myocardial ischemia and for providing an estimate of your aerobic capacity. To learn more about the author: Tim Moore. To decide if you're unable to work at any job, Social Security will look at your medical records to see whether you have enough evidence that your heart-related problems limit your ability to do many work-related activities. How to Claim Disability Benefits After a Heart Attack Social Security Disability Resource Center, How to apply for disability and the information that Social Security needs, Who will qualify for disability and what qualifying is based on, Requirements for disability - Qualifications Criteria for SSD and SSI, How to Prove you are disabled and win your disability benefits. Different heart problems can cause a heart attack. If you are finding it difficult to complete simple tasks like cooking, washing or getting dressed, you could be eligible for Attendance Allowance. If the SSA determines that your capacity is so reduced that you're unable to perform your past job or any other job, you should be found disabled. This suggests that applying for disability benefits is not straightforward for many applicants. If you are applying for SSDI with a heart problem, be sure that you have all the necessary medical documents. The man, who was on his second of three flights said onlookers weren't impressed, but others have told him he shouldn't feel 'guilty'. Additionally, the SSA must see that your heart failure significantly limits your everyday abilities or that you experience symptoms like: If heart failure is so severe that you require a heart transplant, you will qualify for benefits while awaiting a transplant and for at least one year after your transplant surgery. Meeting the criteria explained in the listings can be difficult. (congestive heart failure), Category of Impairments, Cardiovascular System, At least .1 millivolt of ST segment elevation during exercise, which lasts 1 minute or longer into your recovery period, Horizontal or downsloping ST segment depression of at least -.10 millivolts without the presence of digitalis glycoside treatment or low potassium lasting for at least a minute or longer into the recovery period, Decrease of systolic pressure of 10 mm HG or more below the baseline level or below the preceding systolic pressure recorded during the exercise because of dysfunction of the left ventricle despite there being a workload increase, Ischemia documented at an exercise level of 5 METS or less using medically accepted imaging like stress echocardiography, 50 percent or more narrowing of a non-bypassed left main coronary artery, 70 percent or more narrowing of another non-bypassed coronary artery, 50 percent or more narrowing involving a segment longer than 1 cm of non-bypassed coronary artery, 50 percent or more narrowing of at least two non-bypassed coronary arteries or, 70 percent or more narrowing of a bypass graft vessel. A heart attack is the end result of arterial stenosis (narrowing of the arteries) and ischemia (inadequate supply of oxygen to the heart). Work and a heart condition. Coronary heart disease, also known as ischemic heart disease or coronary artery disease, is caused by the build-up of "plaque," or fatty deposits, inside the coronary arteries (atherosclerosis). When you don't automatically qualify for disability benefits under the SSA's official listings, the SSA is required to consider the effect of your heart condition on your capacity to perform routine daily activities and work.