The 2014 AHA/ACC Guideline for the Management of Patients with Valvular Heart Disease represents a major revision and update to the 2006 and 2008 AHA/ACC guidelines. There are substantial changes in multiple areas including the characterisation of heart valve disease, how patients should be followed and referred for additional evaluation, thresholds for intervention, the types of available intervention, and post-intervention management. This document is an attempt to highlight a few areas that are anticipated to have a broad impact in patient management, but it is by no means exhaustive. Clinicians involved in the care of patients with heart valve disease are encouraged to read at least the executive summary, if not the entire 2014 AHA/ACC Guideline document, which is available online. David S. Bach, MD, F.A.C.C. (excerpt from the document)
The full guideline document is available here.
