Cardiological Disorders Leading to Ineligibility for Compulsory Military Service

Background and Objectives: Cardiovascular disorders contribute substantially to medical ineligibility for compulsory military service in Lithuania. This study aimed to describe cardiovascular disease patterns and assess their association with military service eligibility among conscription-age individuals treated at a tertiary care center, considering gender, place of residence, age, and the most common cardiovascular causes of medical ineligibility. Materials and Methods: This retrospective hospital-based study included men and women aged 18–26 years with cardiovascular disease diagnoses defined according to ICD-10 codes specified by the Order of the Minister of National Defense of the Republic of Lithuania. Anonymized medical records from the Hospital of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kaunas Clinics were reviewed. Participants were categorized into four military service eligibility classes based on medical history data and were stratified by gender, age, and place of residence. Results: The study included 521 participants (56.6% male, 43.4% female). Gender and residence showed no significant impact on military service eligibility. Younger individuals, particularly those aged 18–19, were more often deemed eligible, while eligibility declined with age. Males more commonly had essential hypertension and hypertensive heart disease, whereas females more frequently presented with paroxysmal tachycardia and other arrhythmias. Hypertension and other severe cardiovascular conditions most strongly reduced eligibility for compulsory military service, whereas rhythm disorders were more often compatible with service. Conclusions: In this hospital-based cohort of conscription-age individuals with cardiovascular disease, gender and place of residence did not significantly influence eligibility for military service. Eligibility declined with increasing age, and hypertension-related cardiovascular disorders were the leading cause of ineligibility among conscripts.