Cardiovascular

Valvular Heart Disease

Valvular heart disease presents through murmurs, symptoms or imaging; identify severity, urgency, mechanism and the need for specialist valve-team review.

Definition

Valvular heart disease includes stenotic lesions that obstruct forward flow and regurgitant lesions that allow backward flow. NICE NG208 covers the adult pathway from suspected murmur through echo, specialist referral, intervention and follow-up.

First principles

Stenosis and regurgitation create different loads

Valve lesions either obstruct forward flow (stenosis) or permit backward flow (regurgitation). Stenosis creates pressure overload upstream; regurgitation creates volume overload in the receiving chamber.

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