Screening for Valve Disease

Are You at Risk for Valvular Heart Disease (VHD)?

Tens of thousands of men and women of all ages 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 now 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 a 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, swelling of feet, heart palpitations, chest pain, fainting, frequent falls, fatigue and/or decreased endurance.

Hoag Heart Valve Center offers early detection screening for individuals with a family history of valve disease, individuals who have been told they have a heart murmur, or experiencing symptoms of heart valve disease. In addition, those who are interested in finding out whether or not they are at risk for VHD can also make an appointment.

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).