New Guidelines for Managing Valvular Heart Disease

New ACC/AHA guidelines replace earlier versions.

Sponsoring Organizations: American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association

Background and Objective

This document replaces both the full revision of the valvular heart disease guideline from 2014 and the 2017 focused update. Each disease entity has sections for diagnosis and follow-up, medical therapy, and intervention.

Key Points

The guideline re-emphasizes the use of clinical staging: A (at risk), B (progressive), C (asymptomatic severe), and D (symptomatic severe), with subcategories based on left ventricular (LV) function.
Transfemoral transcatheter aortic-valve replacement (TAVR) may now be considered for some low-surgical-risk patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis (AS). However, the decision between TAVR and surgery sh…

Reviewing Author

Howard C. Herrmann, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardAffluent Medical; Artedrone; Caranx; Johnson & Johnson; Medtronic; Prolifagen; Wells Fargo

EquityMicrointerventional Devices, Inc.

RoyaltiesUniversity of Pennsylvania

Grant/Research SupportAbbott Vascular; Edwards Lifesciences; Johnson & Johnson; Medtronic

Editorial BoardsCatheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions; Journal of the American College of Cardiology; Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions; JACC Cardiovascular Interventions; JACC Case Reports; JSCAI

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesHeart Valve Collaboratory (Scientific Committee Member, Chair of the Publications Committee)