- Heart valve disease symptoms include fatigue and shortness of breath, doctors warn.
- Risk increases after age 65; diagnosis involves heart murmur checks and echocardiograms.
- Treatment options like TAVR have expanded, but prevention through healthy habits remains crucial.
PROVO — It often starts small.
Maybe you feel a little more tired than usual or slightly short of breath when walking. For many people, those changes are nothing serious. But doctors say sometimes they can be early signs of heart valve disease.
Heart valve disease happens when one of the heart's four valves — tricuspid, pulmonary, mitral and aortic — doesn't open or close properly. That can cause narrowing or leaking, forcing the heart to work harder over time.
"As it progresses, as it gets worse, there is only so much that the heart is able to do to keep up," Dr. Nirmal Sunkara, an interventional cardiologist at Intermountain Health Utah Valley Hospital said.
Who is at risk?
Heart valve disease becomes more common as people get older, especially after age 65. Other risk factors include pre-existing heart conditions, high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking and a history of rheumatic fever.
Symptoms can be subtle but may include:
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Lightheadedness
- Chest pain or tightness
- Heart palpitations
- Swelling in ankles, feet or abdomen
Diagnosis typically starts with a simple stethoscope check for a heart murmur and is confirmed with an echocardiogram, an ultrasound of the heart.
Treatment options expanding
When intervention is needed, treatment approaches may include transcatheter procedures such as TAVR, where a new valve is inserted through a catheter in the leg, avoiding open-heart surgery.
"It allows us to treat people who historically have not been candidates for surgery," Dr. Daniel Bennett, an interventional cardiologist at Intermountain Health Utah Valley Hospital, said. "There are lots of options that are available today that weren't available 10 years ago."
Other procedures include transcatheter mitral valve replacement, or TMVR, and robotic-assisted surgery.
Prevention still matters
While treatments are advancing, doctors say daily heart health habits are just as important. Regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight and controlling blood pressure and cholesterol can reduce strain on the heart and lower the risk later in life.
"Exercise, exercise, exercise," Bennett said. "One, it's good for you, but two, it's a daily stress test. It's a daily check-in of how I'm feeling, how my heart is doing."
"This is a full-time job — taking care of your heart," Sunkara added. "Doing those things will help your heart stay healthy longer."
If you notice concerning symptoms, doctors say it's important to check in with your health care provider.
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Emma Benson
