38 CFR Part 4 — 38 CFR § 4.88b

Beriberi — VA Diagnostic Code 6314

Infectious / immune

Diagnostic code

6314

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38 CFR § 4.88b lists Diagnostic Code 6314 as “Beriberi.” Under the heading “As active disease,” the lines are 100, 60, and 30. A further line says to rate residuals under the appropriate body system. Section 3.309(c)(2) lists “Beriberi (including beriberi heart disease)” for a former prisoner of war interned or detained for not less than 30 days. Section 3.309(c)(1) does not list beriberi.

Reviewed 2026-10-05. Text checked against the eCFR versioner full-text XML for 2026-10-01 on 2026-10-05. Title 38 was up to date as of 2026-10-01 and last amended on 2026-08-27. The § 4.88b source note prints 61 FR 39875, July 31, 1996, as amended at 84 FR 28230, June 18, 2019.

The rating criteria at each level

Beriberi — DC 6314, as active disease

Rating %: 100

Criteria (verbatim). With congestive heart failure, anasarca, or Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome

Rating %: 60

Criteria (verbatim). With cardiomegaly, or; with peripheral neuropathy with footdrop or atrophy of thigh or calf muscles

Rating %: 30

Criteria (verbatim). With peripheral neuropathy with absent knee or ankle jerks and loss of sensation, or; with symptoms such as weakness, fatigue, anorexia, dizziness, heaviness and stiffness of legs, headache or sleep disturbance

Rating %: —

Criteria (verbatim). Thereafter rate residuals under the appropriate body system.

Rating %	Criteria (verbatim)
100	With congestive heart failure, anasarca, or Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome
60	With cardiomegaly, or; with peripheral neuropathy with footdrop or atrophy of thigh or calf muscles
30	With peripheral neuropathy with absent knee or ankle jerks and loss of sensation, or; with symptoms such as weakness, fatigue, anorexia, dizziness, heaviness and stiffness of legs, headache or sleep disturbance
—	Thereafter rate residuals under the appropriate body system.

The schedule prints “As active disease:” before the 100, 60, and 30 percent lines. DC 6314 does not say to evaluate under the General Rating Formula for Infectious Diseases. The code does not print a 10 or 0 percent line. 38 CFR § 4.31 says: “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.” 38 CFR § 4.7 assigns the higher rating when the disability picture more nearly approximates the criteria required for that rating. Otherwise, the lower rating will be assigned. 38 CFR § 4.6 requires each element affecting the evidence to be studied so that decisions will be equitable and just.

The 100 percent line uses “or” among congestive heart failure, anasarca, and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. The 60 percent line uses “or;” between cardiomegaly and the neuropathy clause. The 30 percent line uses “or;” between the reflex-and-sensation clause and the symptom clause.

The opening note of § 4.88b does not name beriberi among the infectious diseases it lists for § 3.317(d).

Source: 38 CFR § 4.88b, Diagnostic Code 6314, eCFR full-text XML for 2026-10-01.

What the words mean in your records

Active disease has three lines

100 percent is congestive heart failure, anasarca, or Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. 60 percent is cardiomegaly, or peripheral neuropathy with footdrop or atrophy of thigh or calf muscles. 30 percent is peripheral neuropathy with absent knee or ankle jerks and loss of sensation, or symptoms such as weakness, fatigue, anorexia, dizziness, heaviness and stiffness of legs, headache or sleep disturbance.

Thereafter, residuals

The next line has no percentage in the rating column. It says: “Thereafter rate residuals under the appropriate body system.” That sentence is not a 0 percent line printed as a number.

Beriberi heart disease is in the presumption parenthetical

Section 3.309(c)(2) says “Beriberi (including beriberi heart disease).” The schedule title is “Beriberi.” The 100 percent line names congestive heart failure. The 60 percent line names cardiomegaly. The regulation does not print a separate diagnostic code for beriberi heart disease.

Evidence that speaks to each level

100 — heart failure, anasarca, or Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome

What the rater needs to see. One of those three findings during active disease. The line uses “or.”

Where that usually lives. The active-disease records naming the finding.

60 or 30

What the rater needs to see. Cardiomegaly, or the neuropathy with footdrop or muscle atrophy, at 60. Absent knee or ankle jerks with loss of sensation, or the listed symptoms, at 30.

Where that usually lives. The cardiac or neurologic examination that matches the clause.

Residuals after active disease

What the rater needs to see. The unnumbered line: rate residuals under the appropriate body system.

Where that usually lives. The examination of the body system used for the residual.

Level	What the rater needs to see	Where that usually lives
100 — heart failure, anasarca, or Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome	One of those three findings during active disease. The line uses “or.”	The active-disease records naming the finding.
60 or 30	Cardiomegaly, or the neuropathy with footdrop or muscle atrophy, at 60. Absent knee or ankle jerks with loss of sensation, or the listed symptoms, at 30.	The cardiac or neurologic examination that matches the clause.
Residuals after active disease	The unnumbered line: rate residuals under the appropriate body system.	The examination of the body system used for the residual.

VA’s public DBQ list, checked October 5, 2026, names “Nutritional Deficiencies.” The file is Nutritional Deficiencies. DC 6314 is in § 4.88b. The section heading is “Schedule of ratings—infectious diseases, immune disorders and nutritional deficiencies.”

The exam form

The schedule text is the active-disease lines at 100, 60, and 30, and the residual line. This page does not say the form replaces those lines.

Related codes and how they interact

The 30-day prisoner-of-war list is paragraph (c)(2)

Beriberi is in § 3.309(c)(2), with the “not less than 30 days” requirement. Paragraph (c)(1) lists other diseases for a former prisoner of war and does not use that 30-day sentence. Beriberi is not one of the (c)(1) names.

Secondary conditions and presumptions

38 CFR § 3.309(c)(2) says: “If the veteran: (i) Is a former prisoner of war and; (ii) Was interned or detained for not less than 30 days, the following diseases shall be service connected if manifest to a degree of 10 percent or more at any time after discharge or release from active military, naval, air or space service even though there is no record of such disease during service, provided the rebuttable presumption provisions of § 3.307 are also satisfied.” “Beriberi (including beriberi heart disease)” is in that list.

38 CFR § 3.307(a)(5) says the diseases listed in § 3.309(c) shall have become manifest to a degree of 10 percent or more at any time after discharge or release from active service. Paragraph (c)(2) of § 3.309 is the paragraph that adds the 30-day internment or detention requirement for beriberi.

Section 3.309(a) does not name beriberi. Section 3.309(b) does not name it. The 2026-10-01 text of 38 CFR § 3.309(e) does not name it. 38 CFR § 3.309(f) does not name it. 38 CFR § 3.309(d) does not name it. 38 CFR § 3.320 does not name it. 38 CFR § 3.320a does not name it. 38 CFR § 3.320b does not name it. 38 CFR § 3.316 does not name it. 38 CFR § 3.317 does not name it.

A separate question, when a presumption does not decide it, is a medical question on the facts under 38 CFR § 3.310. Paragraph (a) covers disability proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disease or injury. Paragraph (b) covers increase in severity and requires a medical baseline.

Short answers

What is the VA rating for DC 6314?

Under 38 CFR § 4.88b, beriberi as active disease is rated 100, 60, or 30 percent. The 100 percent line includes congestive heart failure, anasarca, or Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. Residuals are then rated under the appropriate body system. Education only. VA decides on the evidence.

Is beriberi a former-prisoner presumption?

Section 3.309(c)(2) lists “Beriberi (including beriberi heart disease)” when the veteran is a former prisoner of war who was interned or detained for not less than 30 days, if the disease is manifest to a degree of 10 percent or more at any time after discharge or release, and the rebuttable presumption provisions of § 3.307 are also satisfied.

FAQ

How does VA rate beriberi under DC 6314?

As active disease, the lines are 100, 60, and 30 percent. The 100 percent line is congestive heart failure, anasarca, or Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. After that, the schedule says to rate residuals under the appropriate body system. Education only.

Where does “beriberi heart disease” appear?

Section 3.309(c)(2) says “Beriberi (including beriberi heart disease).” The schedule title is “Beriberi,” and the 100 and 60 percent lines name congestive heart failure and cardiomegaly. The regulation does not print a second diagnostic code for the parenthetical.

What service fact does paragraph (c)(2) require?

The veteran is a former prisoner of war and was interned or detained for not less than 30 days. The disease must be manifest to a degree of 10 percent or more at any time after discharge or release. Paragraph (c)(1) does not list beriberi and does not use the 30-day sentence.

Is beriberi on the herbicide or one-year chronic list?

Section 3.309(a) does not name beriberi. The 2026-10-01 text of §§ 3.309(e), 3.309(f), 3.320, 3.320b, and 3.316 does not name it.

Next steps

Read the decision for DC 6314, which active-disease line was used, and which body system was used for residuals.
The free worksheet is a place to write the code, the findings, and the records you already have. It does not file a claim or protect a filing date. An accredited representative is at find a VSO.
Other codes in this schedule are on the infectious-disease diagnostic-code index.

Education only. Not legal or medical advice. My Claim Packet is not a VA-accredited representative and does not file claims. VA decides every claim on its own evidence.

Other codes in this body system

Nearby catalog entries in Infectious / immune, ordered by diagnostic code number. All Infectious / immune codes

Also: DC code lookup (tools) lists the same index in a compact layout.

Source: 38 CFR Part 4, Diagnostic Code 6314 • va.gov

⚠️ Important Disclaimer

This page provides general educational information based on public VA regulations and VA.gov resources. It is not legal or medical advice, and My Claim Packet is not a VA-accredited representative. Any worksheets or draft documents produced by the tools must be reviewed for accuracy and are not filed with VA for you. Ratings and service connection are decided case-by-case from the individual record. Consult a VA-accredited VSO, claims agent, attorney, or qualified clinician for help with your situation, and verify current rules using the linked official source.