Will a good heart stress test cause me to lose my rating?

Question

Your Question: I am  a Vietnam 90% service connected  30% for heart disease had 3 stents at my C&P I was asked several questions and was given MET 5 not over 7 however, I recently saw Cardio Dr. sometimes  I get shortness of breath could be that I am 70 years old he wants to do a stress test if I do reall well on it Will I loose my 30 % compensation.Should I get this done out of the VA Your email:

Jim's Reply

No. Doing well on a cardiac stress test will not cause you to lose the 30% rating. For you to lose the rating VA would have to show that the improvement was sustained over time and not just a temporary event.

The fact is that your heart may not be functioning as well as it was before and you could see an increase in the rating. Shortness of breath (SOB) in a known heart patient isn't usually thought of as a byproduct of your age. You'll do well to proceed with the testing and listen closely to the cardiologist. Health first, benefits later.