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Screening for Valve Disease
Are You at Risk for Valvular Heart Disease (VHD)?
Tens of thousands of men and women between the ages of 20-65 are living with, or are at risk for developing, a heart valve abnormality. Reaching these individuals with an important heart-saving message is the goal of Hoag Heart Valve Center -- the first hospital-based center on the West Coast dedicated to the screening, diagnosis and treatment of valvular heart disease (VHD).
Valvular heart disease was once thought to only be a condition that resulted from rheumatic fever, a secondary infection that can develop from untreated strep throat. However, despite the use of antibiotics and the decline of rheumatic fever in the U.S., the prevalence of VHD remains high today. This is because we no know that VHD is also linked to other conditions and risk factors, including:
- Congenital heart disorders (heart problems present at birth, usually involving the heart’s chambers or valves, such as heart murmur)
- Family history of heart valve disorders/disease
- Valve damage as a result of chemical agents (such as Phen Fen, Ergot)
- Coronary artery disease
- Previous infection of the heart valve (endocarditis)
- Advancing age (an individual’s risk for developing VHD increases with age)
- Symptoms of heart valve disease (including, but not limited to: shortness of breath, severe selling, heart palpitations, chest pain, fainting frequent falls, fatigue and /or decreased endurance)
Hoag Heart Valve Center recommends early detection screening for individuals with a family history of valve disease and individuals who have a heart an abnormality, such as a heart murmur. In addition, those who are interested in finding out whether or not they are at risk for VHD can also make an appointment. Currently, Hoag Heart Valve Center is the first dedicated center on the West Coast to offer a screening program for valvular heart disease.
For more information about Hoag Heart Valve Center’s state-of –the-art early detection program for valvular heart disease, please call 949/764-VALVE (8258).
Pease note: Early detection screening for VHD is not yet covered by insurance. However, Hoag Heart Valve Center provides an early detection evaluation for $200
A Special Note to Seniors 65 and Older:
Through a generous grant from Edwards Lifesciences, seniors (65 and older) may qualify to receive a heart valve screening at no cost at Hoag Heart Valve Center. If you do not have any of the symptoms listed above, and have not had previous valve surgery or have not been told you have heart valve disease by your cardiologist, you may be eligible. Please call 949/764-VALVE (8258) for more information about this special program.
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