Local Hospital Celebrates Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CA – MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center will kick off its celebration of Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day (February 22nd) by hosting a special educational event, “Heart Valve Disease Awareness and Prevention,” on Wednesday February 19th from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Sanjiv Patel, MD, interventional cardiologist at MemorialCare Heart and Vascular Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center, will present to attendees the latest information about heart valve disease and reinforce the importance of early detection and treatment.

Heart valve disease involves damage to one or more of the heart’s four valves. While some types are not serious, others can lead to major complications, including death. Each year, more than 25,000 people in the U.S. die from heart valve disease. Fortunately, heart valve disease can usually be successfully treated with valve repair and replacement in patients of all ages. Orange Coast Medical Center joins a campaign of organizations, advocates, health care professionals, patients, and families across the country working to increase recognition of heart valve disease and reinforce the importance of early detection and treatment.

Despite the millions of Americans affected by heart valve disease, a recent survey found that three in four adults know little to nothing about heart valve disease. Although age is the greatest risk factor for heart valve disease, 30 percent of respondents over age 65 say they know nothing about the disease.

“Awareness of heart valve disease is low, and because there are sometimes no symptoms, or symptoms are dismissed as signs of normal aging, it often goes undetected. That’s why Orange Coast Medical Center is proud to join the Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day campaign to encourage people to listen to their hearts,” says Dr. Patel. “We encourage our community members to join us at our upcoming event and help spread the word about the risk factors and symptoms of heart valve disease.”

For more information about Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day and to join its national campaign to increase awareness about heart valve disease, please log on to www.valvediseaseday.org.

For more information about the MemorialCare Heart and Vascular Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center, please log on to memorialcare.org/HeartVascular.