More than 28 million people worldwide are living with heart valve disease, with the condition contributing to more than 60,000 deaths annually in the United States alone according to recent statistics. Despite these staggering numbers, many individuals remain unaware of symptoms or delay critical treatment, creating a significant public health challenge that demands immediate attention.
The American Heart Association is addressing this growing health crisis through the launch of its comprehensive Heart Valve Initiative, a nationwide program designed to improve patient outcomes and healthcare quality through coordinated science and education efforts. This initiative will harmonize the Association's work across patient education, professional training, systems of care, and quality improvement to create greater impact for patients and clinical outcomes.
Dr. Mariell Jessup, chief science and medical officer of the American Heart Association, emphasized the urgency of this approach. "The American Heart Association is uniquely positioned to lead a comprehensive initiative that can help ensure timely diagnosis, appropriate treatment and hopefully a longer, healthier life for those living with valve disease," Jessup stated. "It is a priority to ensure patients with valve disease have a system of care supporting their needs from diagnosis to treatment without unnecessary delays."
The initiative builds upon existing programs like Target: Aortic Stenosis™, which uses a data registry to enhance the patient experience from symptom onset through diagnosis, treatment, and disease management. Aortic stenosis represents one of the most common and serious forms of heart valve disease, affecting approximately one in 40 people in the U.S. with risk increasing significantly after age 65. Additional information about heart valve disease screening is available at https://screenheartvalvedisease.com/.
Edwards Lifesciences, the founding sponsor of both the Heart Valve Initiative and Target: Aortic Stenosis™, brings more than six decades of experience in treating structural heart disease to this collaboration. Todd J. Brinton, chief scientific officer and corporate vice president of advanced innovation and technology at Edwards Lifesciences, highlighted the critical need for earlier detection. "Over our more than six decades creating treatments for patients with structural heart disease, we know that sadly too many patients with valve disease go undiagnosed until it's too late," Brinton explained. "This initiative aims to equip healthcare professionals and patients with the tools to recognize symptoms earlier, engage in timely care and ultimately save lives."
Over the next five years, the Heart Valve Initiative will implement several key strategies to transform heart valve disease care. These include improving adherence to guideline-based care, expanding data collection in the existing Target: Aortic Stenosis registry to include enhanced measurement of asymptomatic and moderate cases, building a guideline-based hospital certification program, advancing public reporting, providing multimedia education for both healthcare professionals and patients, and launching a national awareness campaign.
The initiative will track key clinical metrics for improvement, including timely diagnosis and management of severe and asymptomatic aortic stenosis, quality of echocardiographic assessment for heart valve diseases, and appropriate referral to follow-up cardiac care. In addition to Edwards Lifesciences' foundational support, the Heart Valve Initiative receives partial support from Kardigan, creating a multi-stakeholder approach to addressing this critical health challenge.
This coordinated effort represents a significant step forward in combating a disease that affects millions globally while claiming tens of thousands of American lives annually. By creating standardized systems of care, enhancing professional education, and raising public awareness, the initiative aims to reduce unnecessary deaths and improve quality of life for those living with heart valve conditions.
