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As we mark 25 years of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the impact of its Guideline for ‘Heart valve disease presenting in adults: investigation and management’ published in 2021. 

Today marks the start of International Heart Valve Disease Awareness Week. A week that aims to improve the global diagnosis, treatment, and management of heart valve disease. The week is celebrated by charities from across the globe, all to promote awareness of the disease, its symptoms and the importance of early detection and timely treatment.

Earlier this year, Clinical Lead for Intervention at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, Dr Clare Appleby, gave a presentation to leading figures in the heart valve disease world about gender inequalities in heart valve disease treatment. Here, Dr Appleby discusses that presentation and looks at how to address inequalities in heart valve disease care.

Earlier this week, I was asked to represent Heart Valve Voice and its patient community at a Westminster Health Forum event on Next Steps for Diagnostics and Medical Devices in England. The event featured stakeholders from across the health space, with policymakers, industry professionals and clinical leaders coming together to share their thoughts and ideas. I was there as a patient to share my experience and talk more broadly about what I have learned from other patients as an advocate for Heart Valve Voice.

Essex heart patients are the first in the country to benefit from new wearable technology used by hospital staff in a revolutionary procedure.

This week, NHS England (NHSE) issued a statement updating guidance on using TAVI to treat severe symptomatic aortic stenosis (AS). In the statement, NHSE confirms that TAVI is an alternative to surgical intervention for patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis who are at high surgical risk, and has extended its suitability for those at intermediate or low surgical risk, who meet the detailed inclusion criteria which accompanies the document.