Listing 4.02 · Cardiovascular disorders
Chronic heart failure
To be approved under this listing, a claim must meet all of the criteria below — and the medical records have to prove it.
- A
Medically documented presence of: systolic failure (ejection fraction ≤30%, end-diastolic dimensions >6.0cm) OR diastolic failure (LV posterior wall thickness + septal thickness ≥2.5cm with left atrial enlargement) — during stable, optimal medical care.
In plain terms: Has your doctor measured your heart function — like an ejection fraction — and what was the result?
Evidence required:Cardiac function testUltrasoundTreating physician report - B
Persistent symptoms despite prescribed treatment, OR inability to perform an exercise tolerance test at workload ≥5 METs, OR three or more separate episodes of acute congestive heart failure requiring extended physician intervention/hospitalization within consecutive 12-month period.
In plain terms: Despite the heart medications, are you still having significant symptoms — shortness of breath, fatigue, leg swelling — or hospitalizations for heart failure?
Evidence required:Hospitalization recordCardiac function testRFC (residual functional capacity) assessment
Estimate the odds
Historical approval rates for a claim like this — by state, age, and stage.
Approval odds by condition
How claims for this body system fare through the process.
Other cardiovascular disorders listings
Source: SSA Listing of Impairments (Blue Book), 20 CFR Part 404, Subpart P, Appendix 1 · Updated 2026-06-18. Criteria paraphrased for readability; see the official SSA text linked above. Not legal or medical advice — whether a specific medical record meets Listing 4.02 is an individualized judgment SSA makes on the evidence.