Heart valve disease that increases the risk of strokes and heart attacks lurks unnoticed in A QUARTER of so-called ‘healthy’ Brits, research shows
More than a quarter of apparently healthy people over 60 have undiagnosed heart valve disease, a landmark study shows.
For the first time, research has revealed how many Brits unknowingly have the condition, which can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Heart scans were performed on nearly 4,500 symptomless adults, and 28 percent were diagnosed with heart valve disease.
The cases tended to become more severe with age, leading researchers to suggest that this could one day lead to targeted screening of those most at risk.
Blood flows in one direction through the heart and around the body.
More than a quarter of apparently healthy people over 60 have undiagnosed heart valve disease, a landmark study shows
Vassilios Vassiliou, clinical professor of cardiac medicine at UEA’s Norwich Medical School, said the research also showed that the older a person is, the more likely they are to have a valve problem.
For the first time, research has revealed the number of Britons who unknowingly have the condition – which could increase the risk of heart attack and stroke (file photo)
The four heart valves – pulmonary and tricuspid on the right side, and aorta and mitral on the left side of the heart – control blood flow.
Heart valve disease occurs when one or more of the heart valves do not work properly.
Researchers from the University of East Anglia examined patients from Norfolk, West Midlands and Aberdeen using echocardiography, an ultrasound scan of the heart.
Vassilios Vassiliou, clinical professor of cardiac medicine at UEA’s Norwich Medical School, said: ‘Our findings showed that more than 28 percent of these adults had some form of valve disease, although reassuringly this was only mild in the majority of fallen.
“The data also indicated… that the older a person is, the more likely they are to have a significant valve problem.”
The main problems were valve stenosis (when a valve does not open fully, restricting blood flow) and valve regurgitation (when a valve does not close properly, causing blood to leak back in the wrong direction).
Both can force the heart to work harder and, over time, increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, or other heart conditions.
Symptoms include shortness of breath, chest pain, feeling weak, dizzy, or tired, swollen ankles and feet, and palpitations in the chest or neck.
More research is needed to see how screening can be used to treat the disease, the European Heart Journal article said.
UEA’s Norwich Medical School took part in the study, which found that of almost 4,500 asymptomatic adults, 28 percent had heart valve disease