The Heart Valve Society and Its Journal Finally Meet—The Future is Bright

In 2005, Yacoub and Takkenberg suggested that the burden of heart valve disease (HVD) would continue growing unabated. ¹ Their predictions were indeed correct. In 2019, an update from the Global Burden of Cardiovascular Diseases Working Group confirmed the trend. ² The prevalence of rheumatic and nonrheumatic valve disease continues to steadily rise due to a combination of factors: improved and wider availability of diagnostic tools, improved access to primary care in the Western world, insufficient access to primary care in the developing world, increasing life expectancy and continued innovations in the management of HVD that have driven patient awareness and willingness to seek care.

On the one hand, there is cause to celebrate. Marked improvements in the safety and efficacy of reconstructive valve surgery, as well as the advent of transcatheter therapies, have combined to significantly prolong the life expectancy and improve the quality of life of patients suffering from nonrheumatic valve disease. On the other hand, advances in treatment and awareness of heart valve disease have also highlighted significant gaps in treatment options and care around the world. The prevalence of rheumatic valve disease (RHD) continues to increase worldwide, and reached >40 million individuals in 2019. ² These challenges are compounded by limited research and industry support in the field, and uneven access to lifesaving interventions in these geographic regions which translates into many years of life lost. Taken together, it is evident that HVD represents a major multifaceted global disease entity, thus mandating concerted efforts at various levels ranging from scientists and epidemiologists to clinicians and surgeons, as well as governmental and nongovernmental organizations.

This is the raison d’etre for the Heart Valve Society (HVS). Our mission is to promote awareness, advance knowledge, and innovate to reduce the burden of heart valve disease with a global and multidisciplinary approach. The HVS provides a unique umbrella for professionals to engage in fruitful and productive discussions about all aspects of HVD, from basic science to the latest interventional breakthroughs, from low- and middle-income countries to Western countries, from rheumatic to nonrheumatic valvulopathies. We are all committed to alleviating the burden of valve disease. Additionally, the HVS is keenly focused on fostering and promoting the next generation of leaders in VHD. In 2023, Dr. Carlijn Bouten (HVS President 2023–2024) established the HVS Young Professionals Network to further strengthen networking opportunities for young scientists and clinicians from across the globe with their peers and potential mentors. The future of our society and of our patients rests on the shoulders of the younger generation and as such, the HVS is committed to supporting and fostering their career development. Furthermore, we are committed to promoting engagement of clinicians, scientists, and patient advocates from areas where RHD remains endemic. Indeed, RHD remains the leading cause of valvular heart disease worldwide, and the HVS is uniquely positioned to provide a forum for scholarly discussion, innovation and research in that field. This is part of the reason that the society has opted to hold our annual scientific meeting in Cairo, Egypt in April 2024, at the crossroads between East and West. We hope this will help build bridges and long-lasting collaborations with the patient at the heart of the matter.

In an effort to provide a voice for valve researchers and clinicians, and to promote the mission of the HVS, our board worked diligently and tirelessly toward the successful establishment of our own scientific journal. Indeed, the Journal of the Heart Valve Society (JHVS) is the jewel of the society's crown. We are incredibly excited about our ability to promote the science and practice of HVD in a dedicated journal focused on all aspects of HVD, ranging from basic science to genetics, epidemiology, imaging, medicine, surgery, artificial intelligence, and innovation. Furthermore, the JHVS is an open-access journal, which will significantly extend the reach of the publications to underserved communities of patients and practitioners, with the ultimate goal of leveling the field and providing opportunities that would otherwise go unexploited. This global footprint is true to our DNA as a society. As our world becomes increasingly interconnected and artificial intelligence lifts multiple barriers, the HVS and JHVS will synergize to do just that: connect people and promote science, unburdened by economic, demographic, or geographic barriers. We are excited that Dr. Philippe Pibarot has accepted the stewardship of this project, for he has a unique track record of innovation, collaboration, and scholarship at the intersection of various disciplines: imaging, basic science, medicine, and intervention. He will undoubtedly elevate the JHVS to great heights and make it the premier valve research journal.

In conclusion, while there is a lot to celebrate in the field of HVD, there remain significant areas of improvement in terms of science and patient care. Individually, these are hard battles to conquer. However, there are no limits to what our collective efforts can produce. Together the HVS and JHVS will provide a platform for such innovation.