Tachycardia — VA Disability Rating & Claim Guide
This is not legal or medical advice. Always consult with a VSO or accredited claims agent.
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The DBQ for Tachycardia
Your C&P examiner fills out DBQ 21-0960A-1 (Heart Conditions (Including Ischemic and Non-Ischemic Heart Disease, Arrhythmias, Valvular Disease and Cardiac Surgery)) — the form that decides your rating. You can have your own doctor complete the same DBQ and submit it as evidence.
Have a C&P exam coming up? See exactly what the examiner will ask about Tachycardia — and how to describe it.
Prep →2026 Compensation Rates
Monthly compensation for Tachycardia, based on your overall combined VA disability rating.
| Rating | Monthly (Alone) | Monthly (w/ Spouse) | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 | — | $2,165.04 |
| 20% | $356.66 | — | $4,279.92 |
| 30% | $552.47 | $617.47 | $6,629.64 |
| 40% | $795.84 | $882.84 | $9,550.08 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 | $1,241.90 | $13,594.80 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 | $1,566.02 | $17,220.24 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 | $1,961.45 | $21,701.40 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 | $2,277.15 | $25,225.80 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 | $2,559.30 | $28,347.60 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 | $4,158.17 | $47,262.96 |
Common Symptoms
Document these symptoms in your claim. The more thoroughly you describe how they affect your daily life, the stronger your claim.
Functional Limitations
VA rates disabilities based on how they limit your ability to function. Describe these limitations in your personal statement.
Rating Criteria for Tachycardia
Rating schedule under 38 CFR 4.104, DC 7010 (supraventricular tachycardia). Criteria are simplified summaries; your specific rating depends on severity documented in your C&P exam.
Confirmed by ECG, with one to four treatment interventions per year; or confirmed by ECG with either continuous use of oral medications to control or use of vagal maneuvers to control.
Confirmed by ECG, with five or more treatment interventions per year.
Verified against 38 CFR Part 4, the official VA rating schedule. Reviewed July 2026.
Will adding Tachycardia raise your rating?
Enter your current combined rating and the level this condition would rate at. We'll do the VA math.
New combined
10%
New monthly
$180
Change
+$180
Rates shown are the 2026 veteran-alone amounts (no dependents). VA combines ratings with "whole-person" math and rounds to the nearest 10, so adding a condition does not simply add its percentage. Full combined-rating calculator with dependents →
Peer-Reviewed Medical Evidence
Real, verified studies from PubMed/NIH that support a Tachycardia claim. Bring these citations to your accredited VSO or C&P exam — they help show your condition is recognized in the medical literature and, where noted, linked to other service-connected conditions.
Psychological Bulletin, 2007 · nexus to PTSD · PMID 17723027
Finding: A meta-analysis of 58 resting-baseline studies (sample disproportionately male veterans) found PTSD was associated with significantly elevated resting heart rate (weighted mean effect r = .18), with even larger heart-rate elevations during startle (r = .23) and trauma-cue paradigms (r = .27).
Why it helps: Supports an association between PTSD and a chronically faster heart rate, helpful when arguing that a tachycardia diagnosis is secondary to a service-connected PTSD.
JAMA Psychiatry, 2015 · nexus to PTSD · PMID 26353072
Finding: In 2,160 active-duty Marines, an autonomic profile of higher sympathetic dominance (increased LF:HF heart-rate-variability ratio) was linked to PTSD: 15.8% of Marines with high LF:HF ratios developed PTSD versus 3.7% without (odds ratio 1.47; 95% CI 1.10-1.98).
Why it helps: Documents disrupted autonomic (sympathetic) nervous-system function in service members alongside PTSD, supporting a physiological link between PTSD and tachycardia/elevated heart rate.
- The relationship between Gulf War Illness symptom severity and heart rate variability: A pilot studyDirect
Life Sciences, 2021 · PMID 34087286
Finding: In Veterans meeting Gulf War Illness criteria, greater symptom severity correlated with higher cardiac sympathetic index (e.g., cognitive r = 0.72, gastrointestinal r = 0.69) and lower parasympathetic activity (RMSSD r = -0.57 for fatigue), indicating a shift toward sympathetic (heart-rate-raising) dominance.
Why it helps: Supports a direct association between a recognized deployment-related illness (Gulf War Illness) and autonomic dysfunction that can manifest as tachycardia.
Life Sciences, 2021 · PMID 33984356
Finding: This randomized controlled trial (N = 75) noted that Gulf War illness is characterized by autonomic dysfunction with higher heart rate and lower heart rate variability, and tracked 24-hour ambulatory heart rate as a clinical outcome in affected Veterans.
Why it helps: Reinforces that Veterans with Gulf War illness exhibit elevated heart rate as part of their autonomic dysfunction, supporting a direct service-related basis for tachycardia.
Circulation, 2021 · nexus to obstructive sleep apnea · PMID 34148375
Finding: This AHA scientific statement describes OSA as causing intermittent hypoxemia and autonomic fluctuation, and recommends evaluating for sleep apnea in patients with recurrent atrial fibrillation, tachy-brady syndrome, or ventricular tachycardia, noting OSA prevalence of 40-80% in atrial fibrillation patients.
Why it helps: Supports an association between service-connected obstructive sleep apnea and tachyarrhythmias, useful for a tachycardia claim secondary to sleep apnea.
Clinics in Geriatric Medicine, 2021 · nexus to obstructive sleep apnea · PMID 34210449
Finding: The review explains that OSA-driven intermittent hypoxia increases catecholamine production, producing tachycardia, tachyarrhythmias, hypertension, and left ventricular hypertrophy, and that CPAP treatment is indispensable for managing the resulting atrial fibrillation.
Why it helps: Provides a clear physiological mechanism linking obstructive sleep apnea to tachycardia, supporting a secondary-service-connection argument.
Methodist DeBakey Cardiovascular Journal, 2018 · nexus to diabetes mellitus · PMID 30788010
Finding: This review reports that cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN) affects from 2.5% up to 90% of patients with diabetes and produces manifestations including resting tachycardia from early vagal (parasympathetic) denervation before sympathetic involvement.
Why it helps: Supports an association between service-connected diabetes and resting tachycardia via cardiac autonomic neuropathy, relevant for a secondary claim.
Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2022 · PMID 35710196
Finding: This JACC review identifies autonomic dysfunction as the central abnormality in inappropriate sinus tachycardia (IST), a multifactorial syndrome causing palpitations, anxiety, dizziness, and presyncope, and frames IST as a diagnosis of exclusion that often resists lifestyle and medical therapy.
Why it helps: Characterizes inappropriate sinus tachycardia as a distinct autonomic disorder, useful background for establishing tachycardia as a diagnosable, ratable condition.
Every citation is real and verified against PubMed. This is general information, not medical or legal advice — your accredited VSO or representative can advise on your specific claim.
Evidence Checklist
Gather these types of evidence before filing your claim. The strongest claims include multiple evidence types.
Common Treatments
Documenting ongoing treatment strengthens your claim and supports higher ratings.
Secondary Conditions Linked to Tachycardia
These conditions are commonly claimed as secondary to Tachycardia. A secondary condition can increase your overall combined rating and monthly compensation.
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Tachycardia as a Secondary Condition
Tachycardia is commonly claimed secondary to these primary conditions:
Filing a Tachycardiaclaim? Don't skip these.
Most veterans filing for Tachycardia should also be looking at:
Quick calculator
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Draft your Tachycardia personal statement
7-step wizard that builds your VA claim personal statement using your own words. Detects presumptive eligibility, cites 38 CFR + DBQ, includes federal-crime disclosure. You review and edit before filing.
Start draftingNot legal or medical advice. Always have a VSO or accredited rep review before filing.
Start Your Tachycardia VA Claim
Use our free Claims Builder to organize your Tachycardia evidence, track your claim status, and prepare for your C&P exam. No coaching fees — just tools.
Secondary Condition Claim Guides
Detailed guides on claiming each secondary condition linked to Tachycardia.
Tachycardia Claim Guide by State
Find state-specific VA facilities, veteran benefits, and filing resources.
More free tools
Educational content, not professional advice
This article is published by Military Transition Toolkit for educational and planning purposes. It is not legal, medical, or financial advice. VA rating criteria, benefits, and regulations change — verify anything benefits-affecting against VA.gov, 38 CFR Part 4, or a VA-accredited representative (VSO, agent, or attorney) before filing.
MTT is a veteran-owned planning tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, or any military branch.