Early diagnosis critical as heart valve disease often mistaken for ageing: Doctors
Doctors at Sri Ramachandra Medical Centre (SRMC) in Chennai have emphasised the need for early diagnosis of severe heart valve disease, warning that common symptoms such as breathlessness, fatigue, and reduced activity are frequently misattributed to normal ageing. They highlighted the growing use of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), a minimally invasive procedure to replace narrowed aortic valves, particularly in elderly patients.
Speaking at a press conference, Dr. S. Nagendra Boopathy, professor of Cardiology and senior interventional cardiologist, said the increasing adoption of TAVI is driven by growing clinical confidence supported by long-term evidence and greater patient awareness. He noted that recent international follow-up data spanning seven years has strengthened confidence in the procedure's long-term durability and outcomes.
Dr. Boopathy stressed that early diagnosis through echocardiography and timely intervention can significantly improve outcomes. He praised Chennai's collaborative 'Heart Team' approach and the growing experience in managing complex heart valve disease as factors that are improving patient outcomes and giving families greater confidence in treatment decisions.
Doctors explained that eligibility for TAVI is determined after assessing a patient's overall life expectancy, existing comorbidities, and medical history. However, Dr. S. Ramesh, professor and head of Cardiology, pointed out that access to specialised heart valve care remains concentrated in urban centres. He noted that while Tamil Nadu is projected to become India's oldest state by 2031, a large proportion of its elderly population lives outside Chennai, where access to advanced cardiac evaluation remains limited.
