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Mike Mitka

JAMA. 2006;296:637-638.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

New guidelines for managing patients with valvular heart disease stress the importance of early diagnosis and the use of valve repair instead of valve replacement.

The updated guidelines, released on June 16 by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association (http://www.acc.org/clinical/guidelines/valvular/index.pdf and http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3040213) reflect improved techniques, advancements in chronic valve disease management, and shifts in philosophy that have occurred since 1998, when the previous version of the guidelines was published.

New guidelines for managing patients with diseased heart valves address the use of valve replacement and valve repair. (Photo credit: Martin Dohrn/www.sciencesource.com)

Valvular heart disease caused about 20 000 deaths in 2003 and contributed to another 22 500 deaths. The American College of Cardiology estimates that 95 000 inpatient valve procedures were performed in the United States in 2003. And the number of procedures should only increase as the US population continues to age.

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