What can I claim secondary to sick sinus syndrome?
2 conditions in the Repatriation Medical Authority's Statements of Principles list sick sinus syndrome as a factor. If DVA has accepted your sick sinus syndrome, each of these has a documented pathway to a further claim.
At a glance
- Accepted conditionSick sinus syndrome
- Conditions it may open2
- SourceRMA SoPs
- Chart Review$600 + GST
How a secondary claim works
Some Statement of Principles factors are not about service at all — they name another condition. Where DVA has already accepted your sick sinus syndrome, and another condition's SoP lists sick sinus syndrome as a factor, that part of the next claim is already established on your file. How a secondary claim works, in full →
Conditions that list sick sinus syndrome as a factor
Quoted from the instrument. A pathway existing is not the same as a claim succeeding — each factor carries thresholds your record has to satisfy.
Atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter
RH No. 1 of 2023 · BoP No. 2 of 2023
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (20): “having sick sinus syndrome at the time of the clinical onset of atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter” [clinical onset] — factor (64): “having sick sinus syndrome at the time of the clinical worsening of atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (20): “having sick sinus syndrome at the time of the clinical onset of atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter” [clinical onset] — factor (57): “having sick sinus syndrome at the time of the clinical worsening of atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter” [worsening]
Vascular neurocognitive disorder
RH No. 9 of 2023 · BoP No. 10 of 2023
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (5): “having sick sinus syndrome, atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter, at the time of the clinical onset of vascular neurocognitive disorder” [clinical onset] — factor (24): “having sick sinus syndrome, atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter, at the time of the clinical worsening of vascular neurocognitive disorder” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (4): “having sick sinus syndrome, atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter, at the time of the clinical onset of vascular neurocognitive disorder” [clinical onset] — factor (17): “having sick sinus syndrome, atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter, at the time of the clinical worsening of vascular neurocognitive disorder” [worsening]
Other accepted conditions that also open atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter
If any of these is also on your file, it reaches some of the same conditions sick sinus syndrome does.
What DVA means by sick sinus syndrome
A claim is tested against the definition first. If the diagnosis on your file does not meet this wording, the factors below never get reached — so it is worth checking that what your doctor wrote matches what the instrument requires.
Sick sinus syndrome, for the purposes of the Statement of Principles, for the purposes of this Statement of Principles, sick sinus syndrome: (a) means a group of cardiac arrhythmias caused by dysfunction of the sinus node, in which persistent or intermittent abnormalities of cardiac impulse formation and propagation cause an atrial rate inappropriate for physiological requirements, resulting in clinical symptoms; and (b) excludes congenital sick sinus syndrome.
Note the exclusion. This instrument expressly excludes congenital Sick sinus syndrome. A diagnosis of that is not a diagnosis of sick sinus syndrome, and a claim framed the wrong way fails on the definition before any factor is considered.
Aggravation-only factors. In this instrument, subsections 9(26) to 9(50) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, sick sinus syndrome where it was already present before or during service. If service caused sick sinus syndrome outright, those factors are not available to you.
RH No. 66 of 2022 · BoP No. 67 of 2022 · 37 factors
What could support a claim for sick sinus syndrome?
The Statement of Principles for sick sinus syndrome names 7 other conditions among its own factors. If any of these is already accepted on your file, it may be the factor that carries a sick sinus syndrome claim — quoted here from the instrument.
Hypertension
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (2): “having hypertension at the time of the clinical onset of sick sinus syndrome” [clinical onset]
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (27): “having hypertension at the time of the clinical worsening of sick sinus syndrome” [worsening]
Ischaemic heart disease
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (3): “having ischaemic heart disease at the time of the clinical onset of sick sinus syndrome” [clinical onset]
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (28): “having ischaemic heart disease at the time of the clinical worsening of sick sinus syndrome” [worsening]
Pericarditis
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (6): “having pericarditis at the time of the clinical onset of sick sinus syndrome” [clinical onset]
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (31): “having pericarditis at the time of the clinical worsening of sick sinus syndrome” [worsening]
Cardiomyopathy
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (7): “having cardiomyopathy at the time of the clinical onset of sick sinus syndrome” [clinical onset]
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (32): “having cardiomyopathy at the time of the clinical worsening of sick sinus syndrome” [worsening]
Myocarditis
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (8): “having non-infectious myocarditis at the time of the clinical onset of sick sinus syndrome” [clinical onset]
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (9): “having viral myocarditis at the time of the clinical onset of sick sinus syndrome” [clinical onset]
Sleep apnoea
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (16): “having obstructive sleep apnoea at the time of the clinical onset of sick sinus syndrome” [clinical onset]
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (41): “having obstructive sleep apnoea at the time of the clinical worsening of sick sinus syndrome” [worsening]
Hashimoto thyroiditis
Balance of Probabilities — factor (13): “having hypothyroidism, including Hashimoto thyroiditis that has resulted in hypothyroidism, at the time of the clinical onset of sick sinus syndrome” [clinical onset]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (31): “having hypothyroidism, including Hashimoto thyroiditis that has resulted in hypothyroidism, at the time of the clinical worsening of sick sinus syndrome” [worsening]
Reviewed by Dr Thomas Perkins
Founding doctor, Veterans Health Centre · former RAAF aviation medical officer · 13 years working exclusively with ADF members and veterans. Full profile →
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