Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 1, 2025
A Simplified Stepwise Approach to Echo Guidance during Percutaneous Mitral Valve Repair
Published on: October 16, 2021
Identifying Gaps in Detection of Heart Valve Disease in Australia: A Population Survey
David Playford1, Abdul Rahman Ihdayhid2, Polo Guilbert-Wright3
1School of Medicine, The University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, WA, Australia.
Background:
Untreated severe heart valve disease (HVD) is associated with premature mortality. Research shows low population awareness of when to seek assessment and low focus on cardiac auscultation by physicians in primary care settings. We studied contemporary public knowledge of HVD and assessment by their general practitioner (GP) in Australia.
Method:
A total of 1,041 Australians >60 years of age participated in an online survey via the YouGov platform. The results were compared with data collected in 2020 using a similar approach. In addition, in-depth online interviews with 10 GPs were conducted.
Results:
The top health concerns were cancer (29.7%), heart attack (14.6%), and Alzheimer's disease (14.3%), and only 2.4% rated HVD as a major health concern (in 2020: 1.4%; p<0.001). HVD could be explained by 17.1% of respondents, with 29.3% being aware of aortic stenosis (in 2020: 17.3%; p<0.001). The majority of Australians >60 years of age reported being socially and physically active on a regular basis. A total of 41.6% of respondents had a cardiac auscultation rarely or never performed by their GP (in 2020: 37.1%; p<0.001). Although GPs were confident with detecting the presence of a murmur, they were not confident to diagnose HVD without further investigation by a cardiologist.
Conclusions:
The knowledge and concern about HVD are low among Australians >60 years of age. Large gaps remain including the need for simple, cost-effective strategies to improve patient education to seek routine medical care, promote regular auscultation within primary care, and request echocardiography if clinical suspicion of HVD is present.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:25Cardiovascular System Abnormal Findings II: Auscultation
Abnormal Heart Sounds
Gallops:
01:16Heart Valves
The AV valves prevent the backflow of blood from the ventricles to the atria during ventricular contraction. These valves function with the assistance of the chordae tendineae and papillary muscles. When the ventricles are relaxed, the chordae tendineae are slack, allowing blood to flow from the atria into the...
01:15Heart Sounds
Auscultation is the process of listening to these internal body sounds using a stethoscope. The heart produces four types of sounds, but only two—S1 and S2—can usually be heard with a stethoscope.
S1, also known as the "lub" sound, is caused by the closure of atrioventricular (A-V)...
01:25Assessment of the Cardiovascular System IV: Auscultation
Normal Heart Sounds
S1 (First Heart Sound)-
S1 is made by the closure of the mitral and tricuspid valves (atrioventricular valves), marking the beginning of systole.
S2 (Second Heart Sound)-
S2 is made by the closure of the aortic and pulmonic valves (semilunar valves), marking the end of the systole.
01:20Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System III: X-Ray
Definition and Purpose
An X-ray, or radiograph, is a non-invasive method that uses ionizing radiation to take images of internal structures. It is mainly used in cardiac imaging to examine the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels, aiming to identify abnormalities in the heart's size, shape, and position, such as heart failure, congenital defects, and vascular...
01:20Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System II:Types of Echocardiography
Types of Echocardiography
Transthoracic Echocardiography (TTE)
TTE is the most common type of echocardiogram which involves placing a transducer on the patient's chest, emitting sound waves to create heart images. TTE is invaluable for evaluating the heart's size, structure, and motion, making it particularly useful for...