Hoag Memorial offers free heart valve screenings

Estimating that 50,000 adults in Orange County have a heart valve abnormality, Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian is offering free heart valve screenings to qualified residents age 65 and older.

Heart valve abnormalities put people at a greater risk for developing valvular heart disease, a condition that can lead to heart failure and other complications, hospital officials said.

Symptoms of valvular heart disease include shortness of breath, heart palpitations, chest pain and decreased endurance, and symptoms often arise after heart damage has occurred.

“Valvular heart disease often does not produce any symptoms on routine physical examination,” said Dr. Pravin Shah, medical director of the Hoag Heart Valve Center, in a statement. “Therefore, individuals with risk factors should not wait for symptoms to seek screening.”

For more information, call (949) 764-8258.

— Jessie Brunner