Over 25 percent of seemingly healthy adults over 60 were found to have heart valve disease despite not having symptoms, according to a new study.
“Our findings showed that more than 28pc (percent) of these adults had some form of heart valve disease, although reassuringly it was only mild in the majority of the cases,” Vassilios Vassiliou, a professor of cardiac medicine at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom and co-author of the study, said in a news release.
The study, published on Wednesday in the European Heart Journal–Cardiovascular Imaging, examined 4,500 individuals aged 60 and older in the UK with no preexisting heart conditions.
Heart valve disease is when one or more of the heart’s valves malfunctions, affecting the heart’s ability to pump blood efficiently.
“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,” professor Michael Frenneaux of the Royal Brompton Hospital and co-author of the study said in a news release.
What Is Heart Valve Disease?
The heart has four valves—the aortic, mitral, pulmonary, and tricuspid—that ensure that blood flows correctly through the heart and to the rest of the body. Blood can leak back in the wrong direction when a valve narrows or doesn’t close properly.
The first symptom of heart valve disease is usually extreme fatigue. Other symptoms include feeling faint or losing consciousness, difficulty breathing, chest pain, heart palpitations, or irregular heartbeat.
“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,” said Mr. Vassiliou.
“The diagnosis of heart valve disease mostly relies on transthoracic echocardiography, however this is normally only carried out if symptoms are reported or if an unusual murmur is heard during a physical examination. This can be challenging in the elderly because mild symptoms may be masked by reduced physical activity and impaired mobility,” he added.
Age was the most significant factor associated with the condition, with a higher incidence of moderate-to-severe heart valve disease in individuals older than 75 and more than double the incidence in those over 85.
Common causes of heart valve disease include age, rheumatic fever from an untreated streptococcal throat infection, heart attack, and high blood pressure. Heart valve disease can worsen over time, and most permanent treatments for it often involve surgery or valve replacement.
Study Limitations
The researchers acknowledged several limitations of their study. First, participation was voluntary, which could introduce selection bias, as those who were more unwell may have been more likely to participate. Additionally, the study only included patients from three counties within the United Kingdom, and there was a lack of ethnic diversity.
“Further research will be required to build on these strong foundations and develop methods to test the feasibility of disease identification in these individuals,” James Leiper, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said in the news release.
“Whilst we have made strides, there is still more to be done to eradicate heart disease for good. It is essential that we keep funding lifesaving research, so fewer people have to go through heart break [sic].”