AHA Scientific Sessions 2026 Abstract · Nov 2, 2026
Stages of Valvular Heart Disease Among Octogenarians Attended Visit 11 of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study
By Shelbaya K, Yang Y, Lamberson V et al.
Introduction: Valvular heart disease (VHD) prevalence increases with age, but limited community-based estimates exist regarding the prevalence of AHA/ACC VHD Stages among octogenarians and nonagenarians. Methods: Among 1,328 participants in the community-based Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study who underwent comprehensive echocardiography at the 11 th study visit (2022-2024), we quantified Stages of aortic stenosis (AS), aortic regurgitation (AR), mitral stenosis (MS), and mitral regurgitation (MR) based on AHA/ACC guideline recommendations. For participants with greater than one valvular lesion, VHD Stage was based on the highest Stage of AS, AR, MS, or MR. The prevalence of AS, AR, MS, and MR stages was estimated in the sample overall and stratified by age (quartiles:79-82, 83-84, 85-87, >87 years) adjusted for sex and race. Results: The mean age was 85±4 years (range 79-100 years), 62% were women, 21% reported Black race. The overall VHD Stage prevalence was 56% for Stage A, 22% for Stage B, 3% for Stage C/D, and 3% for prior valve procedure Figure (A ). Substantial variability was observed by valvular lesion, with Stage A most common for MR due mainly to the presence of mild MR, and Stage C/D most common for AS Figure (B) . The prevalence of having a VHD Stage increased with age, even among this older cohort, such that the prevalence of Stage B or C/D VHD increased from 18% among those <83 years of age to 33% among those >87 years old (p <0.001) Figure (C) . Age associated increases in VHD Stage prevalence were most notable for AS, AR, and MR (p <0.005 for all). Conclusion: Among an older community-based cohort of individuals in their eighth to tenth decade of life, nearly one in four have Stage B (progressive; 22%) or Stage C/D (hemodynamically severe; 3%) VHD. These findings highlight the burden of VHD is very late life.