Unraveling the Mechanisms of Valvular Heart Disease to Identify Medical Therapy Targets

Published: June 17, 2024

heart in diastole
  • Valvular Heart Disease (VHD) is a common cause of global morbidity and mortality, yet there is no effective medical therapy and severe disease must be treated surgically.
  • Research is elucidating the molecular pathways that underlie the pathogenesis of VHD, but there are challenges to translating this knowledge into potential treatments.
  • This scientific statement focuses on the most common primary valvular heart diseases, including calcific aortic stenosis, bicuspid aortic valves, mitral valve prolapse and rheumatic heart disease, and outlines the molecular discoveries contributing to each, potential therapeutic targets, and key areas of research priorities.