Although the prevalence of heart valve diseases is low in the general population - around 2.5% - it is much higher in patients aged 75 years and older, reaching 10% to 15%. In Europe, the most common valve diseases are mitral regurgitation (mitral insufficiency) and aortic stenosis, which affect three out of four patients. Then comes aortic regurgitation (aortic insufficiency), followed at some distance by mitral stenosis. 

 

Improvements in healthcare over the past 30 years have contributed to changes in the distribution of the causes of valvular heart disease. Thus, rheumatic valve disease, once predominant in young subjects, has gradually become less common. On the other hand, with the increase in life expectancy, degenerative causes have become more frequent. Moreover, it remains likely that the number of cases will continue to grow as the population ages.