Valvular & structural heart disease
Prevalence of asymptomatic valvular heart disease in the elderly population: a community-based echocardiographic study
Authors' conclusion
Asymptomatic VHD is present in a significant proportion of otherwise healthy individuals without known VHD over 60 years old. Age is strongly associated with an increased incidence of significant VHD.
Study context
- Population
- Asymptomatic individuals ≥60 years old with no prior indication for echocardiography, invited through general practices, UK, 2007–201610,000 invited
- Participants
- 4,237 individuals
- Outcome
- Prevalence of asymptomatic VHD
Methodological detailscommunity-based, echocardiographic screening
- Community-based
- Echocardiographic screening
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- Any valvular heart disease (VHD)
- 28.2%
- Tricuspid regurgitation
- 13.8%
- Mitral regurgitation
- 12.8%
- Aortic regurgitation
- 8.3%
- Clinically significant VHD
- 2.4%
- Moderate VHD
- 2.2%
- Severe VHD
- 0.2%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | OR (95% CI) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Factors associated with significant VHDOnly parameter associated | 1.07 (1.05–1.09) | P < 0.001 | |
| 0.512Odds ratio (log scale) |
Number needed to scan to diagnose one clinically significant VHD case
- Age ≥60 years
- 42
- Age ≥75 years
- 15
Original publication
Prevalence of asymptomatic valvular heart disease in the elderly population: a community-based echocardiographic study. Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging. Published 26 June 2024. doi:10.
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it