Who Is At Risk for Heart Valve Disease?
Populations Affected
Older people are more likely to develop heart valve
disease. It's estimated that 1 in 8 people age 75 or older have at least
moderate heart valve disease.
People who have a history of endocarditis, rheumatic
fever,
heart
attack, or
heart
failureor previous heart valve diseaseare more likely to
develop heart valve disease.
About 1 to 2 percent of people are born with an
aortic valve that has two flaps instead of three. Sometimes an aortic valve may
have three flaps, but two flaps are fused together and act as one flap. This is
called a bicuspid or bicommissural aortic valve. People who have this
congenital condition are more likely to develop aortic heart valve disease.
Major Risk Factors
The major risk factors for acquired heart valve
disease are:
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