Recognize the Signs of Heart Valve Disease

Even when life gets busy, it is important to pay attention to changes in your heart health. Difficulty in climbing stairs or discomfort in normal daily activities may not be due to age.

These changes may be signs and symptoms of an underlying medical condition, such as heart valve disease—a common condition in which the heart valves do not work the way they should.

One serious type of heart valve disease is called aortic stenosis (or aortic valve stenosis). This is the most common type of heart valve disease in the elderly.1 The condition means your aortic valve cannot fully open and close like it should, and over time, this can become life-threatening. The sooner you talk to your doctor about your treatment options, the sooner you can get back to a healthier you.

How is Heart Valve Disease Diagnosed?

Heart valve disease doesn’t have to get in the way of the things you love. If you have any new or worsening symptoms or have concerns about your heart, make it a priority to talk to your doctor as soon as possible.

Your doctor will look for signs of a heart murmur, usually the first hint of heart valve disease.2 If a heart murmur is discovered, your doctor may perform other tests, such as an echocardiogram, to determine what is causing your heart murmur and if you have underlying heart valve disease. These tests are very important as they screen you for different types of heart disease.

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References

  1. Bouma BJ, van den Brink RBA, van der Meulen JHP et al. To operate or not on elderly patients with aortic stenosis: the decision and its consequences. Heart 1999 Aug; 82: 143–8.

  2. Otto CM, Nishimura RA, Bonow RO, et al. 2020 ACC/AHA Guideline for the Management of Patients with Valvular Heart Disease: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines. J AM Coll Cardiol. 2021 Feb 2;77(4):e25-197.