Erlangen-Nürnberg, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.
Institut Clínic Cardiovascular, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Clin Cardiol. 2020 Dec;43(12):1539-1546. doi: 10.1002/clc.23478. Epub 2020 Oct 28.
Rising life expectancy in the western population is increasing the prevalence of heart valve diseases (HVD).
The level of awareness and initial screening for HVD should be sufficient. The potential impact of HVD on the daily activities of the elderly population in Europe might affect our society.
A survey was conducted, including a total of 12 832 people aged ≥ 60 years in 11 European countries. Of all the people surveyed, 5.6% could correctly describe aortic valve stenosis. Most participants (75.0%) claimed they regularly do activities like sports or social activities, 29.2% provide care for a family member, friend or acquaintance. The majority (69.2%) would be prevented from doing these activities by symptoms such as chest pain, fatigue or shortness of breath. Having chest pain (76.5%) and shortness of breath (57.8%) were reasons for most people to arrange an appointment with their GP, whereas only 26.2% would visit a GP for fatigue. 67.6% of respondents claimed to be checked with a stethoscope by their GP occasionally, never, or only when they ask. The preferred treatment option for HVD is a keyhole procedure (45.8%), whereas open heart surgery would only be preferred by 7.0%.
Knowledge about HVD is still low. Neither appointments with a GP driven by symptoms nor regular use of a stethoscope are a reliable guarantee for early diagnosis. With the over 60s in Europe playing an active role in social life, awareness campaigns and regular heart health checks may guarantee early diagnosis and treatment of HVD.
西方人口预期寿命的上升导致心脏瓣膜疾病（HVD）的发病率不断上升。
HVD 的知晓率和初步筛查应该足够。HVD 对欧洲老年人口日常活动的潜在影响可能会影响我们的社会。
在 11 个欧洲国家进行了一项调查，共纳入 12832 名年龄≥60 岁的人群。在所有接受调查的人群中，有 5.6%的人能够正确描述主动脉瓣狭窄。大多数参与者（75.0%）声称他们经常进行体育或社交活动等活动，29.2%的人照顾家庭成员、朋友或熟人。大多数人（69.2%）会因胸痛、疲劳或呼吸急促等症状而无法进行这些活动。胸痛（76.5%）和呼吸急促（57.8%）是大多数人预约全科医生的原因，而只有 26.2%的人会因疲劳而预约全科医生。67.6%的受访者声称他们的全科医生偶尔会用听诊器检查他们，也有从不检查或只有在他们要求时才检查的情况。HVD 的首选治疗方案是微创程序（45.8%），而开胸手术仅为 7.0%。
人们对 HVD 的认识仍然很低。无论是由症状驱动的与全科医生的预约，还是定期使用听诊器，都不能可靠地保证早期诊断。由于欧洲 60 岁以上的人群在社会生活中发挥着积极的作用，因此开展宣传活动和定期进行心脏健康检查可能会保证 HVD 的早期诊断和治疗。
