American Heart Association Launches National Initiative to Combat Heart Valve Disease

The American Heart Association has established heart valve disease as a critical focus area by launching a nationwide initiative to improve patient outcomes and health care quality through science and education. 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. The Heart Valve Initiative will harmonize the Association's efforts in patient education, professional education, systems of care and quality improvement to make a greater impact for patients and clinical outcomes.

The new initiative will expand efforts to help health systems and clinicians identify patients affected by heart valve disease earlier, treat them faster and deliver care aligned with the latest evidence-based guidelines. By integrating new hospital certification programs, health care professional education and patient engagement tools, the initiative is designed to drive improvement across the full continuum of care. Mariell Jessup, M.D., FAHA, chief science and medical officer of the American Heart Association, emphasized the organization's unique position to lead this comprehensive initiative that can help ensure timely diagnosis, appropriate treatment and hopefully a longer, healthier life for those living with valve disease.

The Heart Valve Initiative is made possible from founding sponsor Edwards Lifesciences, building on current work around aortic stenosis, one of the most common and serious heart valve diseases. The Target: Aortic Stenosis™ program uses a data registry to enhance the patient experience from symptom onset to appropriate diagnosis and follow-through, to timely treatment and disease management. With one in 40 people in the United States having heart valve disease and risk increasing with age, particularly for those over 65, the initiative addresses a critical public health need. Additional information about heart valve disease screening is available at https://screenheartvalvedisease.com/.

Todd J. Brinton, chief scientific officer and corporate vice president of advanced innovation and technology at Edwards Lifesciences, noted that over six decades of creating treatments for patients with structural heart disease has revealed that too many patients with valve disease go undiagnosed until it's too late. The 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 initiative will improve adherence to guideline-based care for heart valve diseases, with an initial focus on aortic stenosis and intent for expansion into other forms of heart valve disease.

The comprehensive approach includes expanding data collection in the existing Target: Aortic Stenosis registry to include enhanced measurement of asymptomatic and moderate aortic stenosis cases, building a guideline-based heart valve certification program for hospitals, advancing public reporting and expanding hospital recognition to drive high-quality care. The initiative will also provide multimedia education for both health care professionals and patients and launch a national awareness campaign to educate people about heart valve disease and make informed care decisions. Key clinical metrics for improvement will include 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 is supported in part by Kardigan. The initiative represents a significant step forward in addressing a condition that affects millions worldwide and has substantial mortality rates, particularly when diagnosis and treatment are delayed. By creating standardized systems of care and improving awareness among both medical professionals and the general public, the American Heart Association aims to transform outcomes for patients living with various forms of heart valve disease.