Belleville, Illinois, Feb. 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — During American Heart Month, Allsup, the nation’s leading provider of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) representation is highlighting how serious heart and cardiovascular conditions can qualify workers for SSDI benefits when symptoms make sustained employment difficult or impossible.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) continues to claim lives at an alarming rate, with one person in the U.S. dying every 34 seconds. Stroke also is a leading cause of serious long-term disability and causes one death about every three and a half minutes. Each day, approximately 2,510 deaths in the U.S. are attributed to cardiovascular disease, according to the American Heart Association. These figures emphasize the need for improved prevention, early diagnosis and access to comprehensive support for individuals living with the impact of stroke or heart disease. While mortality receives significant attention, many people who survive heart attacks or strokes experience lasting symptoms that interfere with their ability to work.
“Surviving a cardiac event does not always mean a full return to work,” said Steve Perrigo, vice president at Allsup. “People may look fine outwardly, but fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness and cardiac rhythm issues can make it extremely hard to meet the physical and mental demands of a full-time job.”
For many working-age adults, advanced cardiovascular conditions can reduce stamina, limit exertion and affect concentration or reliability. These functional limits can prevent individuals from maintaining consistent work schedules, even when they want to continue working. The Social Security Administration (SSA) evaluates disability claims based not only on medical diagnoses, but also on whether a person can perform substantial gainful activity on a sustained basis.
Cardiovascular Conditions The SSA Evaluates
The SSA reviews cardiovascular disability claims using its Listing of Impairments, commonly called the Blue Book, along with medical and vocational evidence.
Examples of cardiovascular conditions the SSA evaluates include:
- Chronic heart failure.
- Ischemic heart disease.
- Recurrent arrhythmias.
- Aneurysm of the aorta or major branches.
- Chronic venous insufficiency.
- Peripheral arterial disease.
Meeting a specific Blue Book listing is not required to qualify for SSDI. Many people are approved through a medical-vocational allowance when symptoms and functional limitations prevent them from performing past work or adjusting to other work.
“One of the most common misunderstandings is that SSDI approval depends only on having a specific diagnosis,” Perrigo said. “In reality, claims are often decided based on how well medical records explain what a person can no longer do in a work setting.”
Functional Limits Often Drive Claim Decisions
Cardiovascular disability claims are frequently denied when medical records focus on test results but do not clearly describe how symptoms affect day-to-day work abilities. Symptoms such as fatigue, reduced exertional tolerance and the inability to sustain activity throughout a workday are common issues that also should be accurately documented.
SSDI eligibility can apply to individuals who are working but can’t maintain earnings at a level the SSA considers substantial gainful activity. This means their medical condition is clearly limiting work. Eligibility depends on functional capacity, not effort or job title.
To qualify for SSDI, individuals generally must have a severe, medically determinable condition expected to last at least 12 months or result in death and must have sufficient work credits through Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) payroll contributions, according to the SSA. Medical evidence typically includes objective testing, clinician records, treatment history and documentation that connects symptoms to functional work limitations.
Guidance For Navigating A Complex Process
The SSDI process involves strict evidence requirements and multiple levels of review administered by the SSA. With more than four decades of experience, Allsup has helped more than 425,000 people nationwide receive Social Security disability benefits.
In addition to SSDI representation, Allsup offers Disability Financial Solutions®, which connect individuals to financial, medical and legal resources.
“American Heart Month is a reminder that disability benefits exist to support people whose health conditions prevent them from continuing to work,” Perrigo said. “Understanding how eligibility works and how to document limitations can make a meaningful difference.”
Whether you’re applying for SSDI for the first time or appealing a denial, our specialists are here to guide you. Visit FileSSDI.Allsup.com or call (800) 678-3276 to get started.
ABOUT ALLSUP
Allsup and its subsidiaries provide nationwide Social Security disability, veterans disability appeal, disability financial solutions, return to work, and healthcare benefits services for individuals, their employers and insurance carriers. Allsup professionals deliver specialized services supporting people with disabilities and seniors so they may lead lives that are as financially secure and as healthy as possible. Founded in 1984, the company is based in Belleville, Illinois, near St. Louis. Learn more at Allsup.com or download a free PDF of Applying for Social Security Disability Insurance: Getting It Right The First Time.
- Steve Perrigo, vice president at Allsup.