Disease of the heart valves is increasingly common and frequently requires
treatment, usually a combination of drug therapy and surgery to repair or
replace the valve. The majority of valvular heart disease occurs in older
people, and is due to degenerative disease of the valve tissue. Understanding
how to diagnose, investigate and manage patients with valvular heart disease is
a core skill for a wide range of doctors, including cardiologists, cardiac
surgeons, general physicians, general surgeons and anaesthetists. Valvular heart
disease can also occur in younger patients and can be particularly challenging
to diagnose and treat in pregnant women. New advances in cardiology mean a range
of valvular