Timely detection of heart valve disease is suboptimal because patients do not know what it is and GPs do not routinely perform auscultation, an Australian study suggests.

WA researchers, in collaboration with valve maker Edwards Lifesciences, tested knowledge of aortic stenosis and frequency of GP auscultation among more than 1000 patients aged over 60.

Just 2.4% rated heart valve disease as a concern, with patients mainly concerned about cancer (30%), heart attack (14.6%), Alzheimer’s disease (14.3%), stroke (11.6%) and arthritis (8.1%).

Nearly 65% of the respondents attended their GP regularly, but 20% went less than once a year or only if they had a specific concern, the researchers reported in Heart, Lung and Circulation.