Epidemiologic Profile of Patients With Valvular Heart Disease in Korea: A Nationwide Hospital-Based Registry Study

Abstract

BACKGROUND Valvular heart disease (VHD) is a common cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality worldwide; however, its epidemiological profile in Korea requires elucidation. METHODS In this nationwide retrospective cohort study from the Korean valve survey, which collected clinical and echocardiographic data on VHD from 45 medical centers, we identified 4,089 patients with VHD between September and October 2019. RESULTS The aortic valve was the most commonly affected valve (n = 1,956 [47.8%]), followed by the mitral valve (n = 1,598 [39.1%]) and tricuspid valve (n = 1,172 [28.6%]). There were 1,188 cases of aortic stenosis (AS) and 926 cases of aortic regurgitation. The most common etiology of AS was degenerative disease (78.9%). The proportion of AS increased with age and accounted for the largest proportion of VHD in patients aged 80–89 years. There were 1,384 cases of mitral regurgitation (MR) and 244 cases of mitral stenosis (MS). The most common etiologies for primary and secondary MR were degenerative disease (44.3%) and non-ischemic heart disease (63.0%), respectively, whereas rheumatic disease (74.6%) was the predominant cause of MS. There were 1,172 tricuspid regurgitation (TR) cases, of which 46.9% were isolated and 53.1% were associated with other valvular diseases, most commonly with MR. The most common type of TR was secondary (90.2%), while primary accounted for 6.1%. CONCLUSIONS This report demonstrates the current epidemiological status of VHD in Korea. The results of this study can be used as fundamental data for developing Korean guidelines for VHD.

Etiologies and Patterns of Valvular Heart Disease Among Cardiac Patients at the Cardiac Center of Ethiopia During February 2000 to April 2022

“…However, in a nationwide cohort study of 4089 patients from a Korean valve survey of 45 medical centers, there were 33.8% cases of MR. 25 In the Swedish population (n = 10,164,211), AS contributed 47.2% of the VHD diagnoses. 26 Another prospective cross-sectional study conducted at Jimma Medical Center, a tertiary hospital in Jimma City, Southwest Ethiopia, also reported that MR (87.2%) was the most common valvular lesion.…”

“…23 According to a cross-sectional study conducted in China, even though MR was the most prevalent VHD (79.1%, 95% CI 78.2% to 79.9%), patients who had VHD as their primary diagnosis were more likely to have multiple VHD (41.1% vs 19.1%, p 0.0001). 24 However, in a nationwide cohort study of 4089 patients from a Korean valve survey of 45 medical centers, there were 33.8% cases of MR. 25 In the Swedish population (n = 10,164,211), AS contributed 47.2% of the VHD diagnoses. 26 Another prospective cross-sectional study conducted at Jimma Medical Center, a tertiary hospital in Jimma City, Southwest Ethiopia, also reported that MR (87.2%) was the most common valvular lesion.…”

2023 Korean Society of Echocardiography position paper for the diagnosis and management of valvular heart disease, part II: mitral and tricuspid valve disease

“…A recent nationwide hospital-based retrospective cohort study from the Korean Valve Survey collected clinical and echocardiographic data on valvular heart disease from 45 medical centers [ 28 ]. Among 4,089 patients, 244 patients showed MS and mean age of MS patients was 65.5 ± 10.9 years, which was significantly younger than those with mitral regurgitation (MR) or other valvular dysfunction.…”

Korean Valve Survey: Is This Just the Beginning? What Is the Next Step?

“…In the present study, Choi et al 6) retrospectively investigated the epidemiological of valve diseases in Korea using nationwide retrospective cohort data from the Korean Valve Survey collected from 45 hospitals. The authors described the demographics and etiologies according to VHD.…”

“…In brief, VHD is a global issue with regional variation, and previous studies have reported the global epidemiology of VHD, including regional differences. 13) 14) To the best of our knowledge, the study by Choi et al 6) is the first to evaluate the current epidemiology of VHD in Korea. It is likely that the epidemiology of VHD has changed with Korea’s economic development and population aging.…”