Hardening of Heart Valves Is a Major Predictor for Mortality, Mayo Clinic Finds

Cardiovascular disease is responsible for nearly 18 million deaths each year and is the No. 1 cause of death globally. Pixel-Shot/Shutterstock

A study by Mayo Clinic has found that a common hardening of valves in the heart, which affected around a quarter of patients checking for heart conditions, increases the risk of mortality as well as cardiovascular disease and valvular disease.

“Mitral annulus calcification [hardening of heart valves] has been known to be associated with cardiovascular disease and mortality, but we did not previously appreciate the strength of this relationship,” said the lead author of the study, Dr. Patricia Pellikka on June 1.