Stress echocardiography in valvular heart disease

ABSTRACT

Introduction: The management of patients with heart valve disease can be complex. Patients may have symptoms disproportionate to the severity or the severity may be unclear. In addition, the optimal timing of intervention in patients with severe disease may be controversial.

Areas covered: This article examines the role of stress echocardiography for assessment of patients with low-flow, low-gradient aortic stenosis, asymptomatic severe valve disease and patients where symptoms are discordant to the resting severity of valve disease.

Expert commentary: Stress echocardiography helps clinicians determine the true severity of valve disease and may identify the cause of symptoms in patients with only mild/moderate disease. The data provided by stress echocardiography will help determine the appropriate management strategy and the correct timing of intervention.

KEYWORDS:

• Heart valve disease
• stress echocardiography
• aortic stenosis
• mitral stenosis
• mitral regurgitation
• aortic regurgitation

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer Disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial relationships or otherwise to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.