Who is at Risk for Heart Valve Disease?

Major risk factors for heart valve disease are:

• Advanced age:  Approximately 1 in 8 people, 75 years or older, have at least moderate heart valve disease.
• Medical history:  Individuals who have a history of endocarditis, rheumatic fever, heart attack or heart failure are more likely to develop heart valve disease.
• Pre-existing conditions: If you have unhealthy blood cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, diabetes, or are obese, your risks for developing heart valve disease may be increased.
• Drug, alcohol or tobacco abuse:  Substance abuse can weaken heart muscle and its structures.  For example, use of certain anti-obesity medicines have been linked to heart valve disease.
• Susceptibility to endocarditis: Intravenous drug use or other activities that increase the potential for endocarditis may increase your chances for acquiring heart valve disease.
• Bicuspid aortic valve. A person with this congenital condition, characterized by an aortic valve with two leaflets instead of three, may have an increased likelihood of developing aortic heart valve disease.