You may qualify for SSDI benefits if you have Cardiomyopathy Heart Condition including ischemic, dilated, hypertrophic, and limited cardiomyopathy, all of which may qualify for disability if severe.

Cardiomyopathy is frequently caused by viral infections in the heart. Cardiomyopathy can be caused by another illness or its treatment in rare situations. This might include severe congenital heart disease (existing at birth), dietary deficits, unpredictable, rapid cardiac rhythms, or some forms of cancer treatment. Cardiomyopathy is sometimes connected to a genetic abnormality. Occasionally, the reason is unknown. Adults are commonly affected by three forms of cardiomyopathy.

They are as follows:

Cardiomyopathy symptoms include severe weariness, swelling of the legs and feet, chest discomfort (angina), dizziness, fainting, irregular heartbeats, and shortness of breath during activity or, in severe instances, even at rest.

Many people, especially the elderly, have cardiomyopathy, but not all of them are damaged. Many people, particularly those under the age of 65, can be treated with heart medication for cardiomyopathies.

How Does the SSA view Cardiomyopathy as a Disability?

The treatment ability of the ailment decides whether cardiomyopathy is eligible for benefits. For example, if coronary artery bypass surgery restores sufficient blood flow to the heart, symptoms such as shortness of breath and weariness usually improve, making cardiomyopathy no longer a difficult disease. Simply said, alcoholic cardiomyopathy may be treated by avoiding drinking (if you do, you will not qualify for disability; read our page on how alcohol usage impacts your disability claim for more information).

Does Cardiomyopathy Qualify as a Disability?

Until recently, the Social Security Administration (SSA) maintained a separate impairment listing for cardiomyopathies (4.08), but patients were advised to petition for disability under chronic heart failure, ischemic heart disease, or arrhythmia. Despite the fact that there is no official SSA classification for cardiomyopathies, you must still claim for disability using the listings for congestive heart failure (4.02), ischemic (coronary) heart disease (4.04), or arrhythmia (4.05).

Many cardiomyopathy patients, for example, have congestive heart failure. (This does not imply that the heart ceases beating; rather, it can no longer adequately pump blood to the body.) Under listing 4.02, severe heart failure qualifies as a disability for Social Security payments.

Which of the following SSA Impairment Listings does my cardiomyopathy fall under?

To look at the many forms of cardiomyopathy, it might assist to establish which listing your illness will be reviewed under. Here are some of the most prevalent.

Cardiomyopathy caused by Ischemia

Coronary artery disease causes this form of cardiomyopathy (narrowing of the arteries that supply the heart with blood, also called hardening of the arteries). Because the original problem is decreased blood flow via the coronary arteries, some doctors no longer consider this to be a kind of cardiomyopathy; instead, they consider the condition to be ischemic heart disease (where coronary artery disease causes a heart attack, which causes damage to the heart muscle). In any case, ischemic cardiomyopathy is frequently recognized as ischemic heart disease, but when it produces heart failure, it is regarded as "chronic heart failure" by the SSA.

Cardiomyopathy with Dilated Cardiomyopathy

The left ventricle of the heart enlarges and fails to pump properly in this kind of cardiomyopathy, which is the most prevalent type of genuine cardiomyopathy. This may result in congestive heart failure.

Cardiomyopathy with Hypertrophy

This kind of cardiomyopathy, which is mainly inherited, causes cardiac muscle thickening, which reduces the left ventricle and makes it more difficult for the heart to pump blood to the rest of the body. This can cause cardiac arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms), however it seldom causes functional impairments that qualify for disability benefits. However, in extreme situations, it might result in diastolic dysfunction and persistent heart failure.

Cardiomyopathy with Restrictive Function

The heart muscle stiffens in this kind of cardiomyopathy, which is the least prevalent, causing issues with the heart filling with blood. Diastolic dysfunction and congestive heart failure can result from this.

Get Professional Help

Qualifying for disability benefits is a complicated and tiresome process. It should not be left to non-professionals who don't know their way around the disability procedure, blue book, etc. Hiring expert disability attorneys can save you both lost time and money, which is crucial to start and win early SSDI benefits for your cardiomyopathic heart condition. For more information, you can seek legal advice from our expert disability attorneys at the Law Office of Irene Ruzin.