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Welcome to The Veterans Disability Nexus, where we provide unique insights and expertise on medical evidence related to VA-rated disabilities. Leah Bucholz, a US Army Veteran, Physician Assistant, & former Compensation & Pension Examiner shares her knowledge related to Independent Medical Opinions often referred to as “Nexus Letters” in support of your pursuit of VA Disability every Tuesday & Wednesday at 7AM Central.
Take control of your medical evidence related to your benefits and visit https://podcast.prestigeveteranmctx.info/veteran/ for more information and to connect directly with us!
Hey guys, it's Leah Bee from Prestige Veteran Medical Consulting. I am a US Army veteran, physician assistant and former compensation and pension examiner. So today we're gonna talk about a critical topic, which is stroke and cerebrovascular disease in military veterans. We're gonna explore medical facts, why veterans are at greater risk, what VA looks at when they're rating the conditions, and what research says about military members and veterans. So let's just jump right in.
Leah:What is a stroke? So a stroke happens when blood flow to the brain is blocked and reduced, damaging brain cells. So cerebrovascular accidents include things like stroke, aneurysms, and other conditions affecting brain vessels. So it's one of the leading causes of death and long term disability in The US. So why are veterans at higher risk than some populations?
Leah:So veterans face unique risks. Traumatic brain injury or TBIs are an important and major role. VA study found veterans with TBI have up to sixty nine percent higher risks of stroke. PTSD, chronic stress and high blood pressure also contribute to higher risk. So do depression, sleep apnea and diabetes, conditions often seen in veteran populations.
Leah:So what are some VA disability ratings for stroke? So let's talk about that. So that's not really my area of expertise. That's more what you're gonna talk with your accredited claims agent, VSO or other legal professional about, but I know this is an important topic that veterans like to hear about. So when a veteran suffers from a stroke, the VA usually assigns a temporary rating of one hundred percent for six months following the event or the final treatment.
Leah:So that's if they find it to be service connected. After that they reevaluate based on residual effects. So what are some of those residual effects that a person can have after a stroke? Things like speech loss, paralysis, memory loss, emotional changes, each of these is rated separately, then they're combined using VA math. If you're not really familiar with VA math, we've done videos in the past with, we have an attorney that comes on sometimes and she's done a couple of great videos with us about VA math.
Leah:So they use the combined rating, the VA's combined rating or their VA math to determine what those residuals are gonna be. So if the stroke left you needing daily help, you may also qualify for special monthly compensation. And if your stroke was caused by another service connected condition like hypertension or diabetes, it may be a secondary service connection. Or again, we should jump back a little bit and talk about how it can be service connected. So it can be connected on a primary or secondary basis.
Leah:So if you had a stroke on active duty, I mean that would be a direct service connection if VA believes that it's related to your service. And on a secondary service connection, you can be service connected if one of your other disabilities that are already service connected caused or contributed to the development of that disorder. So again, things like hypertension, diabetes, TBI, things like that. So let's talk about some literature review. I always like to talk about literature so that you guys can talk to your treating providers to see if they can support you with a medical opinion or just things that you guys can read about.
Leah:So what does the research say? So a 2023 military medicine study showed veterans with PTSD or TBI have significantly increased risk of stroke. The Lancet Neurology Report reports that blast exposure in combat can cause long term damage to brain blood vessels. VA has also found that rural veterans often have limited access to stroke care and worse recovery outcomes. Racial disparities exist as well.
Leah:Black and Hispanic veterans experience worse stroke outcomes and less follow-up according to this study. So women veterans, women veterans also face stroke risks. So a 2024 JAMA neurology study showed women with service connected conditions like hypertension and PTSD are especially vulnerable. They're also more likely to be underdiagnosed. More research is needed to close this gap.
Leah:So treatment and prevention, stroke is serious, but it's often preventable. Some ways to lower risk that you can talk to your doctor about, I'm sure they should be educating you on this, is managing your blood pressure, treating diabetes, addressing PTSD and depression, quit smoking if you're a smoker and stay active in your care plan. The VA's National Telestroke Program connects veterans even in rural areas with expert neurologists in real time. So if you're a veteran recovering from a stroke or you have a family member that has had a stroke that's a veteran, you're not alone. You deserve full access to care and compensation for any long term effects.
Leah:So documenting your symptoms, using an accredited claims agent, BSO or an attorney to assist you with filing a claim can be beneficial if you need that type of assistance. So if you don't know how to access an accredited claims agent or an attorney, we've got another video. Va.gov has a really great tool that you can run over to and put in your local area. You don't always have to work with someone in your local area. You can work with an accredited legal professional all over The United States.
Leah:So you can use that search tool where you can find somebody that may be able to look at your case with you if you've experienced this in the past or if you have a family member or another veteran, like I said. So I hope this was helpful to you guys. Please drop some comments. Like and subscribe if you have not already. Please let me know if there are any other topics that you'd like to hear about or share some of your experiences.
Leah:So, again, thanks for watching, and I'll talk to you guys soon.