Hypertension may f. Considering Long Term Effects of exist for years without causing symptoms Hypertension so increase the cardiac load as to result in hypertrophy of the cardiac muscle or cardiac dilation and decompensation, if sufficiently severe, and cause arteriosclerosis of uneven distribution that often involves the vessels of one organ to a greater degree than those of the rest of the body, in cases where hypertension is long-standing. If the hypertension is of sufficient degree to cause significant impairment of circulation to the organ, symptoms will manifest in accordance with the organ involved, and degree of impairment. also diagnosed as ischemic heart disease g. Definition: Arteriosclerotic heart disease, Arteriosclerotic (IHD) and coronary artery disease (CAD), is a disease of the heart caused by Heart Disease the diminution of blood supply to the heart muscle due to narrowing of the cavity of one or both coronary arteries due to the accumulation of fatty material on the inner lining of the arterial wall. For rating purposes, a diagnosis of arteriosclerotic heart disease must be h. Documentation documented by objective testing. Objective tests include, but are not limited Required to to Support a Diagnosis of electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) findings Arteriosclerotic treadmill exercise testing (with or without a thallium scan),or Heart Disease cardiac catheterization and angiography. The actual test results need to be of record if the evidence Note: do not indicates that the diagnosis was rendered by a competent medical professional based on the results of an objective test. and Symptoms of chest pain alone are sufficient to support a Important: not clinical diagnosis of arteriosclerotic heart disease for rating purposes. As chest pain is a symptom of multiple disabilities, the diagnosis arteriosclerotic heart disease be supported with objective documentation. must According to , objective evidence show the following information for i. Requirement must for rating purposes when evaluating the cardiovascular conditions listed under Documentation of Cardiac whether cardiac hypertrophy is present Hypertrophy, whether cardiac dilatation is present, and
f. Considering Long Term Effects of Hypertension Hypertension may exist for years without causing symptoms so increase the cardiac load as to result in hypertrophy of the cardiac muscle or cardiac dilation and decompensation, if sufficiently severe, and cause arteriosclerosis of uneven distribution that often involves the vessels of one organ to a greater degree than those of the rest of the body, in cases where hypertension is long-standing. If the hypertension is of sufficient degree to cause significant impairment of circulation to the organ, symptoms will manifest in accordance with the organ involved, and degree of impairment. g. Definition: Arteriosclerotic Heart Disease Arteriosclerotic heart disease, also diagnosed as ischemic heart disease (IHD) and coronary artery disease (CAD), is a disease of the heart caused by the diminution of blood supply to the heart muscle due to narrowing of the cavity of one or both coronary arteries due to the accumulation of fatty material on the inner lining of the arterial wall. h. Documentation Required to Support a Diagnosis of Arteriosclerotic Heart Disease For rating purposes, a diagnosis of arteriosclerotic heart disease must be documented by objective testing. Objective tests include, but are not limited to electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) findings treadmill exercise testing (with or without a thallium scan),or cardiac catheterization and angiography. Note: The actual test results do not need to be of record if the evidence indicates that the diagnosis was rendered by a competent medical professional and based on the results of an objective test. Important: Symptoms of chest pain alone are not sufficient to support a clinical diagnosis of arteriosclerotic heart disease for rating purposes. As chest pain is a symptom of multiple disabilities, the diagnosis arteriosclerotic heart disease must be supported with objective documentation. i. Requirement for Documentation of Cardiac Hypertrophy, According to , objective evidence must show the following information for rating purposes when evaluating the cardiovascular conditions listed under whether cardiac hypertrophy is present whether cardiac dilatation is present, and