Population Prevalence of Valvular Heart Disease in the United States

J Am Coll CardiolPublished 16 Jun 2026

Authors' conclusion

In this national in-home echocardiography study, VHD was common among older adults, with important age-related and valve-specific patterns.

Study context

Population: US adults 65–85 years who previously filled a prescription at CVS or Walgreens pharmacies
Participants: 3,000 adults

Outcome: Prevalence of ≥ moderate VHD, weighted to US population; co-primary: prevalence of clinically significant VHD (incl. mild-to-moderate regurgitant disease)

As reported in the abstract

Weighted prevalence of ≥ moderate valvular heart disease (VHD)

8.2% (95% CI: 7.0%-9.5%)

Weighted prevalence of clinically significant VHD (co-primary)

18.4% (95% CI: 16.7%-20.2%)

Observational data: associations, not effects.

Outcome	Lower risk with Non-Hispanic Black ←→ Higher risk with Non-Hispanic Black	adjusted RR (95% CI)
Any VHD by race/ethnicity (age- and sex-adjusted)		0.91 (0.83–0.99)
	0.512Adjusted relative risk (log scale)

Any VHD by race/ethnicity (age- and sex-adjusted): driven predominantly by lower rates of aortic stenosis and regurgitation

Any VHD by race/ethnicity (age- and sex-adjusted)

No significant adjusted differences between Hispanic and non-Hispanic individuals

Lesion type and age/sex

Tricuspid regurgitation most common lesion, followed by AS, mitral regurgitation, aortic regurgitation, mitral stenosis
Older age, but not sex, associated with greater prevalence

Extrapolation to US population aged 65-85

≥ moderate VHD currently (at least): 4.7 million
Clinically significant VHD currently: 10.6 million
Projected by 2060, ≥ moderate / clinically significant: 6.5 and 14.7 million

Population Prevalence of Valvular Heart Disease in the United States. J Am Coll Cardiol. Published 16 June 2026. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2026.02.5137

Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it