Heart valve disease, a disorder that affects more than 11 million Americans and claims the lives of 25,000 each year, is recognized on Feb. 22 during American Heart Month to raise awareness about heart valve disorders.

Abrazo Arizona Heart Hospital in Phoenix will host a free Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day educational event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 22. The hospital is located at 1930 E. Thomas Road.

Those attending can participate in cardiovascular risk screenings for blood pressure, blood oxygen saturation, pulse, body mass index and a brief consultation with a clinician to discuss results, according to a press release.

The event will also offer ways to learn about heart valve disease symptoms and treatments for aortic stenosis, mitral valve regurgitation, atrial fibrillation, heart failure and more. Valve disease is often diagnosed with a heart murmur.

Degenerative changes in a heart valve may occur long before symptoms appear. After developing symptomatic severe aortic stenosis, the average patient survival is two years without treatment, according to Dr. Timothy Byrne, medical director of cardiac services at Abrazo Arizona Heart Hospital.

Valve disease patients are generally heart failure patients as well, noted Tammy Querrey, director of Clinical Cardiovascular Care for Abrazo Health.

“If they have valve disease most likely they also have some degree of heart failure,” Querrey stated.

Visit AbrazoHealth.com/events to RSVP for the free Feb. 22 event.

A model of a heart with a TAVR valve is pictured.

(Photo provided by Abrazo Arizona Heart Hospital)