FRIDAY, June 28, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Heart valve disease is much more common in aging adults that has been thought, a new study warns. More than a quarter of healthy and symptom-free people aged 60 and older had previously undetected heart valve disease, researchers report. “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,” said lead researcher Vassilios Vassiliou , a clinical professor of cardiac medicine with the University of East Anglia’s Norwich Medical School in the U.
K. “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,” Vassiliou said in a university news release. Blood is meant to flow through the heart in one direction.
Valves inside the heart keep blood from flowing back between beats, ensuring optimal function. Heart valve disease occurs when one or more of the heart valves malfunction, either by not opening fully to let enough blood through or by not closing properly, which allows blood to leak back in the wrong direction. “These problems can put extra strain on the heart and make the heart work harder,” said co-lead researcher Michael Frenneaux , of the Royal Brompton Hospital in the U.
K. “Over time, it can increase the risk of having a heart attack , stroke and other heart conditions.” .