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GARP Chapter 2: Blood Pressure and Blood Vessels, Explained Simply

Blood pressure is scored on the treatment it takes to control it, not just the reading. Leg arteries come back to walking distance.

Veterans Health Centre · 7 September 2026 · 5 min read

Chapter 2 covers high blood pressure, and problems with your blood vessels.

It is a short chapter. It is also the one where veterans most often assume they will get nothing and stop asking.

What is in it?

High blood pressure (hypertension)
Aneurysms, including aortic aneurysm
Narrowed leg arteries, and the leg pain that comes with walking
Varicose veins
Deep vein thrombosis and its after-effects
Lymphoedema and swelling
Raynaud's, and cold-related vascular problems

Heart and lung conditions go to Chapter 1. Stroke goes to Chapter 5.

How blood pressure is scored

Not by your reading alone. By how much treatment it takes to control it, and by whether it has damaged anything.

In rough order:

Controlled by lifestyle alone — very low or nil
Controlled on medication — a small score
Needing several medications — higher
Still not controlled despite treatment — higher again
Organ damage — usually rated in the chapter for the organ affected

So being well controlled on tablets is not nothing. It is still a score. Say what you take and how many.

Leg arteries: it comes back to walking

Like Chapter 1, the vascular tables lean on function. If narrowed arteries give you cramping calf pain when you walk, the important facts are:

how far you get before the pain starts
whether you have to stop
how long before you can start again
whether it happens at rest, or at night

Pain at rest is a much higher score than pain on walking. Say so if that is you.

Veins and swelling

Varicose veins and vein damage are scored on things like:

aching and swelling by the end of the day
skin changes and staining around the ankle
whether you need compression stockings
whether you have had ulcers, and whether they heal

An ulcer that keeps coming back scores far more than veins that just look bad. Take photos when it is at its worst.

Aneurysms

An aneurysm that is being watched but is not causing symptoms still scores. So does one that has been repaired. Do not assume "it's fixed" means "it's worth nothing".

The rule that runs through the chapter

You get either your functional score or the Other Impairment score for the condition, whichever is higher. Not both. Make sure the assessor checked both.

And if the problem comes in episodes — Raynaud's attacks, for example — Chapter 15 may give you a bigger number. That is worth raising.

What this means for you

List every blood pressure tablet. The number of medications is part of the score.
Give walking distances. Metres before the pain, and whether you stop.
Say if you get pain at rest or at night. That is a big step up.
Photograph ulcers and skin changes. They heal before appointments.
Do not skip a repaired aneurysm. It still counts.
Ask about Chapter 15 if your problem comes in attacks.

Common questions

My blood pressure is fine on tablets. Is it worth claiming?

Yes. The score reflects the treatment needed, not just the reading. It may be small on its own, but small numbers still push your combined total up.

Is a stroke rated here?

No. Stroke is rated under Chapter 5, on what it left you with.

What about the heart damage my blood pressure caused?

That is rated in Chapter 1, as a heart condition. The pressure itself is rated here.

Next in this series

Chapter 3: spine, arms and legs — the chapter most veterans need.

Want a hand with yours?

If you have a permanent impairment assessment coming up, we do these every week. Call 0429 146 039 or email reception@vhc.org.au.