Endocrine System§ 4.119Updated
Rating criteria

VA Diagnostic Code 7900Hyperthyroidism, including, but not limited to, Graves' disease

Rated from 0% to 30% under § 4.119. Here is what the VA requires at each level.

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  1. 30%

    For six months after initial diagnosis

  2. 0%

    Thereafter, rate residuals of disease or complications of medical treatment within the appropriate diagnostic code(s) within the appropriate body system.

From the schedule

Notes on this code

These notes are part of the regulation. They change how the levels above are applied.

  • Note (1): If hyperthyroid cardiovascular or cardiac disease is present, separately evaluate under DC 7008 (hyperthyroid heart disease).
  • Note (2): Separately evaluate eye involvement occurring as a manifestation of Graves' Disease as diplopia (DC 6090); impairment of central visual acuity (DCs 6061-6066); or under the most appropriate DCs in § 4.79.

Hyperthyroidism (Including Graves' Disease) — VA Diagnostic Code 7900

Endocrine System · 38 CFR § 4.119 · Diagnostic Code 7900

Understanding the Condition

Hyperthyroidism is a condition of the endocrine system in which the thyroid gland is overactive. Graves' disease is one form of hyperthyroidism, though this diagnostic code covers hyperthyroidism generally — "including, but not limited to, Graves' disease."

The VA evaluates this condition under Diagnostic Code 7900, found in the endocrine system section of the rating schedule (§ 4.119).

Available Rating Levels

The VA uses the following rating structure for hyperthyroidism:

RatingWhat It Reflects
30%For six months after initial diagnosis
0%Thereafter, residuals of the disease or complications of medical treatment are rated within the appropriate diagnostic code(s) in the appropriate body system

In plain terms: an initial 30% rating applies for the first six months following diagnosis. After that six-month period, the condition is rated at 0% under this code, and any remaining effects — such as residuals of the disease or complications from medical treatment — are evaluated under whichever diagnostic codes and body systems best fit those effects.

What the VA Looks For

When rating hyperthyroidism, the VA considers the following:

  • Timing since diagnosis. The 30% rating is tied specifically to the six-month period after initial diagnosis. After that, the evaluation shifts to a 0% rating under this code, with attention to any residuals or treatment complications rated elsewhere.

  • Heart involvement (Note 1). If hyperthyroid cardiovascular or cardiac disease is present, it is evaluated separately under Diagnostic Code 7008 (hyperthyroid heart disease).

  • Eye involvement (Note 2). Eye involvement that occurs as a manifestation of Graves' disease is evaluated separately — as diplopia (DC 6090), as impairment of central visual acuity (DCs 6061–6066), or under the most appropriate diagnostic codes in § 4.79.

Because residuals and complications can be rated under other body systems, the full picture of how hyperthyroidism affects you may be captured across more than one diagnostic code.

These criteria are a rendering of § 4.119, diagnostic code 7900. The official version is the one that governs your rating.

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What next

How to claim this

Knowing the criteria is the first half. Getting your file to show them is the second.

  1. Find your level in the stack

    Read each rung against what your medical records already say. The level your records document today is the one the VA can support today.

  2. Name the gap

    Look at the rung above yours and write down exactly what it asks for that your file does not show yet — a diagnosis, a measurement, a prescribed brace, a doctor’s opinion linking it to service.

  3. Claim it by code

    File under diagnostic code 7900 and attach the evidence for the level you are asking for. Other Endocrine System codes may cover your secondary conditions.

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