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Peripheral Vascular Disease

Narrowing of the blood vessels outside the heart, usually in the legs. VA rates it on objective vascular testing only: ankle/brachial index, ankle pressure, toe pressure, or transcutaneous oxygen tension. Walking distance was removed from DC 7114 in 2021 and is no longer a rating criterion.

Code: 7114
Criteria: 38 CFR 4.104, DC 7114
Exam length: ~30-45 minutes
Form: Artery and Vein DBQ

Rating steps

0%
20%
40%
60%
100%

The percentages this diagnostic code can be rated at. Which one applies depends on the findings — no tool here can tell you in advance.

What happens at the appointment

The examiner will check the pulses in your feet and legs and may use a handheld Doppler to assess blood flow. The ankle-brachial index (ABI) is a key diagnostic measurement.
You will be asked about claudication — pain or cramping in your calves, thighs, or buttocks when walking that goes away with rest. Answer fully, but know that since 2021 the percentage comes from objective vascular testing rather than from walking distance.
The examiner will inspect your legs and feet for skin changes: hair loss, shiny skin, cool temperature, pallor on elevation, and dependent rubor (redness when the leg hangs down).
You will be asked about rest pain — pain in the feet or toes at rest, especially at night, which indicates more advanced disease.
Any history of peripheral artery bypass surgery, stent placement, or amputation will be reviewed in detail.

What the examiner is actually filling in

01Ankle-brachial index (ABI) and any other objective vascular testing results.
02Ankle/brachial index and ankle, toe or transcutaneous oxygen tension pressures for each affected extremity — Note (2) says that where AP, TP and TcPO2 are not of record, VA evaluates on ABI, and otherwise on whichever test gives the highest impairment value.
03Whether rest pain is present — pain in the feet or toes at rest, not just with exertion.
04Trophic changes: skin atrophy, hair loss, cool extremities, diminished pulses, pallor on elevation, dependent rubor.
05History of vascular procedures, non-healing ulcers, or amputations related to peripheral artery disease.

Rated under 38 CFR 4.104, DC 7114. The examiner records findings on the DBQ; a rating specialist makes the decision.

A complete answer sounds like

PVD is rated under 38 CFR § 4.104, Diagnostic Code 7114. The 2021 revision replaced the walking-distance thresholds with objective measurements, and any ONE of them is enough at each level. 20%: ankle/brachial index 0.67-0.79, ankle pressure 84-99 mm Hg, toe pressure 50-59 mm Hg, or transcutaneous oxygen tension 50-59 mm Hg. 40%: ABI 0.54-0.66, AP 66-83, TP 40-49, or TcPO2 40-49. 60%: ABI 0.40-0.53, AP 50-65, TP 30-39, or TcPO2 30-39. 100%: ABI 0.39 or less, AP under 50, TP under 30, or TcPO2 under 30. Each affected leg is evaluated separately and then combined.
If you have rest pain, describe exactly when it occurs: "Every night I wake up with burning pain in my toes. I have to dangle my feet over the side of the bed for 10-15 minutes for relief."
Each leg is rated separately — make sure the examiner evaluates both legs independently if both are affected.
If you have had a toe or partial foot amputation due to PVD, that can be rated separately in addition to the vascular disease rating.
Bring your ABI results and any trend data. An ABI of 0.5 that has dropped from 0.8 over two years shows progressive disease, which is relevant to your claim.

What costs veterans points

Going to the exam without vascular laboratory results. Since 2021 the percentage comes only from objective vascular testing — ankle/brachial index, ankle pressure, toe pressure, or transcutaneous oxygen tension. Walking distance was removed from DC 7114 in 2021 and no longer sets a percentage. Describe the walking limits anyway — they matter for the overall picture and for a TDIU claim — but the study is what sets the number.
Not mentioning rest pain and non-healing wounds. They no longer appear in DC 7114 as criteria, but they are what prompts the clinician to order the pressure studies that do set the rating — and ulceration and tissue loss are separately ratable under the skin and amputation codes.
Forgetting to mention skin changes on your feet and lower legs: thinning skin, hair loss, discoloration, or non-healing wounds. These are objective signs of poor circulation.
Not reporting that symptoms limit your occupation or daily tasks: if you cannot stand for your job or walk through a store, those are functional limitations.
Not bringing ABI results. Without objective vascular testing, the examiner may estimate severity based on interview alone, which may understate your condition.

The rating criteria, in plain language

Rating levels for Peripheral Vascular Disease under 38 CFR 4.104, DC 7114
Rating	Rating criteria	What that means for you
0%	In every instance where the schedule does not provide a zero percent evaluation for a diagnostic code, a zero percent evaluation shall be assigned when the requirements for a compensable evaluation are not met.	You are service-connected, but the objective vascular measurements do not meet the requirements for a compensable evaluation. DC 7114 prints no 0% rung of its own; § 4.31 supplies it — no monthly payment, but the condition is on record and can be increased later if it worsens. The lowest compensable level under this code is 20 percent.
0%	What supports this level Ankle/brachial index of 0.80 or higher — § 4.104 Note (1) treats that as normal Current examination findings, even where they fall below the 20% criteria A dated record of the condition so that a later increase claim has a starting point
20%	At least one of the following: Ankle/brachial index of 0.67-0.79; ankle pressure of 84-99 mm Hg; toe pressure of 50-59 mm Hg; or transcutaneous oxygen tension of 50-59 mm Hg	One objective measurement is enough: an ankle/brachial index of 0.67–0.79, an ankle pressure of 84–99 mm Hg, a toe pressure of 50–59 mm Hg, or a transcutaneous oxygen tension of 50–59 mm Hg.
20%	What supports this level Ankle/brachial index (ABI) from objective vascular testing Ankle pressure, toe pressure, or transcutaneous oxygen tension results Testing for each affected extremity separately — § 4.104 Note (4) evaluates each limb on its own and then combines them Vascular laboratory report, not an estimate from examination alone
40%	At least one of the following: Ankle/brachial index of 0.54-0.66; ankle pressure of 66-83 mm Hg; toe pressure of 40-49 mm Hg; or transcutaneous oxygen tension of 40-49 mm Hg	One objective measurement is enough: an ankle/brachial index of 0.54–0.66, an ankle pressure of 66–83 mm Hg, a toe pressure of 40–49 mm Hg, or a transcutaneous oxygen tension of 40–49 mm Hg.
40%	What supports this level Ankle/brachial index (ABI) from objective vascular testing Ankle pressure, toe pressure, or transcutaneous oxygen tension results Testing for each affected extremity separately — § 4.104 Note (4) evaluates each limb on its own and then combines them Vascular laboratory report, not an estimate from examination alone
60%	At least one of the following: Ankle/brachial index of 0.40-0.53; ankle pressure of 50-65 mm Hg; toe pressure of 30-39 mm Hg; or transcutaneous oxygen tension of 30-39 mm Hg	One objective measurement is enough: an ankle/brachial index of 0.40–0.53, an ankle pressure of 50–65 mm Hg, a toe pressure of 30–39 mm Hg, or a transcutaneous oxygen tension of 30–39 mm Hg.
60%	What supports this level Ankle/brachial index (ABI) from objective vascular testing Ankle pressure, toe pressure, or transcutaneous oxygen tension results Testing for each affected extremity separately — § 4.104 Note (4) evaluates each limb on its own and then combines them Vascular laboratory report, not an estimate from examination alone
100%	At least one of the following: Ankle/brachial index less than or equal to 0.39; ankle pressure less than 50 mm Hg; toe pressure less than 30 mm Hg; or transcutaneous oxygen tension less than 30 mm Hg	One objective measurement is enough: an ankle/brachial index of 0.39 or lower, an ankle pressure under 50 mm Hg, a toe pressure under 30 mm Hg, or a transcutaneous oxygen tension under 30 mm Hg.
100%	What supports this level Ankle/brachial index (ABI) from objective vascular testing Ankle pressure, toe pressure, or transcutaneous oxygen tension results Testing for each affected extremity separately — § 4.104 Note (4) evaluates each limb on its own and then combines them Vascular laboratory report, not an estimate from examination alone

The middle column is our transcription of the criteria at 38 CFR 4.104, DC 7114, condensed for reading. Read the section itself on eCFR before relying on the exact wording. The items under each level are the kinds of evidence that document it — not a VA checklist, and not a prediction of which level applies to you.

Mistakes we see most often

Not getting an ankle/brachial index (ABI) test — this simple, objective test is the key measurement for PVD ratings. Ask your doctor for arterial Doppler studies.

Relying on walking distance. Claudication distance was removed from DC 7114 in 2021. The percentage now comes from objective vascular testing only — ankle/brachial index, ankle pressure, toe pressure, or transcutaneous oxygen tension — so the thing to push for is the vascular laboratory study, and one for each affected leg.

Not documenting trophic changes — thin, shiny skin, loss of leg hair, and thick or dystrophic toenails are objective signs that support the 40% rating. Point these out to the examiner.

Not filing for each leg separately if both are affected — peripheral vascular disease can be rated independently for each extremity.

Before & after your exam

These apply to every C&P exam, whatever the condition.

Do not miss the appointment: Missing your C&P exam without a good reason can cost you. Under 38 CFR § 3.655, a missed exam can cause a claim for an increased rating or a reopened claim to be denied, and can cause an original claim to be decided on the evidence already in your file. If you cannot make it, call the VA or the exam company right away to reschedule — a documented good reason (illness, work conflict, no transportation, a family emergency) protects your claim.
Your examiner may be a contractor: Many C&P exams are performed by VA-contracted companies — QTC, Optum Serve (LHI), VES, or MSLA — not at a VA hospital. They will call, text, or mail you to schedule. Do not ignore an unknown number or letter while your claim is pending, and confirm the exam location and time before you go.
The examiner does not decide your claim: The examiner's job is to record findings on the Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ). A rating specialist at the Regional Office makes the actual decision, using the exam together with your full record — service records, medical records, and lay statements. One appointment does not settle everything.
Get a copy of your exam report: After the exam you can request the report (often called the DBQ or C&P exam results) through VA.gov, the Blue Button tool, or your accredited representative. Reading it lets you catch errors while you still have time to respond.
If the exam was inadequate, you have options: If the examiner rushed you, evaluated the wrong condition, or the report is inaccurate, you can submit a statement and new evidence, and — after a decision — request a review (a Supplemental Claim or Higher-Level Review). A single bad exam is not the end of your claim.

View condition guide →View evidence checklist →

Folder readiness

Tick these off as you gather them. Nothing here is required — the exam happens either way — but each one is something the examiner cannot record if it is not in front of them.

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Take it with you

Print the whole guide — what the examiner records, the folder list with your ticks, the criteria table and the mistakes to avoid — and bring it to the appointment.

Frequently paired

Documented secondary or co-occurring conditions. Each is examined separately and has its own guide.

Free tool · 282 guides · DBQ-aligned

C&P Exam Preparation Guides

The VA orders this exam to verify your diagnosis and measure how severe it is right now. It can shape your rating and your monthly compensation — but it does not decide your claim. A rating specialist weighs it against your full record, and if the exam does not reflect your condition, you can say so and ask the VA to correct it.

Source forms
Coverage

Peripheral Vascular Disease

Rating steps

What happens at the appointment

What the examiner is actually filling in

A complete answer sounds like

What costs veterans points

The rating criteria, in plain language

What supports this level

What supports this level

What supports this level

What supports this level

What supports this level

Mistakes we see most often

Before & after your exam

Peripheral Vascular Disease

Rating steps

What happens at the appointment

What the examiner is actually filling in

A complete answer sounds like

What costs veterans points

The rating criteria, in plain language

What supports this level

What supports this level

What supports this level

What supports this level

What supports this level

Mistakes we see most often

Before & after your exam