From the Guidelines

Valvular heart disease is a condition where the heart valves do not function properly, according to medical guidelines 1.

Definition and Guidelines

The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) have released guidelines for the management of valvular heart disease, which provide recommendations for clinicians to diagnose and manage the condition 1.
The guidelines cover various aspects of valvular heart disease, including diagnosis, treatment, and management of patients with valve disease 1.
The guidelines also emphasize the importance of individualizing treatment decisions to each patient, taking into account their specific needs and preferences 1.

Valvular heart disease can be caused by various factors, including age-related or degenerative valve disease, and can be diagnosed using modern cardiovascular imaging modalities such as echocardiography, computed tomography (CT), and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) 1.
The guidelines recommend a comprehensive assessment of patients with valvular heart disease, including a thorough history and physical examination, as well as the use of echocardiography to evaluate valve severity 1.
Treatment options for valvular heart disease include valve repair or replacement, as well as less invasive interventions such as transcatheter valve replacements and repair 1.
The ACC/AHA guidelines have been instrumental in providing a foundation of knowledge for the management of patients with valvular heart disease, and have undergone updates to reflect new knowledge and advances in diagnostic imaging and interventions 1.

Valvular heart disease (VHD) is one of the most common cardiovascular diseases, resulting in severe limiting symptoms, a shortened lifespan, and potentially sudden death 2.
VHD encompasses a number of common cardiovascular conditions, accounting for 10% to 20% of all cardiac surgical procedures in the United States 3.

The diagnosis of significant valvular heart disease can be made on the basis of a physical examination, and noninvasive echocardiography is available to confirm the presence and severity of valve disease 2.
There have been major improvements in both the diagnosis and treatment of patients with valvular heart disease, including better and more durable surgical procedures and the advent of catheter-based therapies 2.
National guidelines are available to aid clinicians in the optimal timing of intervention, and a shared decision-making process should play a key role in the final decision for therapy 2.

The European Society of Cardiology and European Association of Cardiothoracic Surgery have updated their guidelines on the management of valvular heart disease, reflecting new data on diagnosis and management 4.
The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association has also updated their guidelines for the management of patients with valvular heart disease, highlighting the emergence of novel transcatheter technologies 5.
The updated guidelines provide new recommendations in many aspects of VHD, although there remain significant gaps in the role of biomarkers in VHD and the long-term outcomes of novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) and transcatheter therapies 6.