About 28% of relatively healthy people over the age of 60 have heart valve disease, which could lead to more serious cardiovascular complications. This is according to a report published Wednesday in European Heart Journal – Cardiovascular Imaging. Age was strongly linked to the increase in heart valve disease.
Data was derived from 4,237 people in the UK from 2007 to 2016. Participants filled out questionnaires, and had clinical exams and ultrasounds on their hearts. Of participants, 21% were over 75 and 8.6% were over the age of 80.
A total of 2.4% of participants had clinically significant valvular heart disease; 1 in every 42 people had a moderate case and 1 in 15 over the age of 75 had the same.
“The data also indicated that age was the main factor associated with these heart valve problems, meaning that the older a person is, the higher their chance of having a significant valve issue,” Vassilios Vassiliou, clinical professor of cardiac medicine at UEA’s Norwich Medical School, said in a statement.
“The main problems are caused by the valve not opening fully (valve stenosis) which restricts the flow of blood, or the valve not closing properly (valve regurgitation) which means blood can leak back in the wrong direction,” Michael Frenneaux, a researcher with the Royal Brompton Hospital, a co-author, added in the statement. “These problems can put extra strain on the heart and make the heart work harder. Over time, it can increase the risk of having a heart attack, stroke and other heart conditions.”
Symptoms of heart valve disease can include chest pain, feeling breathless, weak or dizzy; having swollen ankles and feet; feeling tired; or experiencing chest or neck palpitations.
Diagnosing heart valve disease mostly relies on transthoracic echocardiography. However it’s normally only done if a person reports symptoms or the doctor notes an unusual murmur, Vassiliou said.
“This can be challenging in the elderly because mild symptoms may be masked by reduced physical activity and impaired mobility,” Vassiliou said.
“This study reveals that many older adults have heart valve issues, even if they don’t show any symptoms and we would suggest that if people do develop any new symptoms or signs that could indicate heart disease to discuss this with their doctor,” Vassiliou added.
More studies are needed to see how prevalent the disease is in older people and guide screening practices, the authors noted.
