Over a quarter of individuals over 60 have undetected heart valve disease, according to a comprehensive study. Age-related factors play a critical role in the prevalence and severity of the disease, highlighting the necessity for ongoing research and improved healthcare screenings. A study identified undiagnosed heart valve disease in 28% of people over 60, emphasizing the importance of better screening in managing health in older adults.
The sheer scale of undiagnosed heart valve disease in our aging population has been revealed for the first time, thanks to new research led by the University of East Anglia. More than a quarter of healthy and symptom-free over 60s examined in the study were found to have previously undetected heart valve disease. Co-lead author Vassilios Vassiliou, Clinical Professor of Cardiac Medicine at UEA’s Norwich Medical School, said: “This study focused on understanding how widespread heart valve issues of any severity are among healthy, symptom-free adults without any known heart diseases.
Key Findings on Heart Valve Disease Prevalence “We examined almost 4,500 individuals aged 60 and older from three regions in the UK: Norfolk, West Midlands, and Aberdeen, using echocardiography, which is an ultrasound of the heart. “Our findings showed that more than 28% of these adults had some form of heart valve disease, although reassuringly it was only mild in the majority of the cases. “The data also indicated that age was the main factor associate.
