Tag Archives: valve disease

Introduction Heart failure and valve disease are common. The population prevalence of each is 2–3% and this rises to more than 10% aged ≥75 years.1,2 Echocardiography is a key diagnostic investigation but it is a relatively scarce resource and is also underutilised.3 It has been suggested that access can be improved by targeting high-risk individuals using limited ‘point-of-care’ studies also called ‘quick-scans’.4 There has been an increase in the application of ‘quick-scans’ with the development of hand-held machines, which allow near-patient testing in the community or on ward-rounds, in clinics or in emergency departments.

The recently-formed British Heart Valve Society aims to enlarge knowledge and understanding in order to improve the management of valve disease. A feature will be the involvement of all disciplines with an interest in valve disease to enlarge research ideas but also to help address clinical or organisational problems. This approach was evident in the Society’s first training day Valve disease: the forgotten epidemic but will also be carried out through educational events, collaborative research and articles focusing on points of concern. Genetics of valve disease The value of cross-fertilisation from specialisations outside clinical cardiol

Its first study day will be held on 25 October 2010 at the Royal Society of Medicine in London. Topics will include: the epidemiology, health economics, bioengineering, biology and genetics of valve disease; temporal and regional variations in valve surgery; advances in techniques of repair; exercise-testing, the use of neurohormones, and risk-stratification for valve surgery; the case for specialist clinics and for screening. The day will appeal to all interested in valve disease including cardiologists and surgeons, nurses and sonographers, anatomists, bioengineers and geneticists and epidemiologists. The group welcomes registrants (Becky W