The American Heart Association has launched a $15 million research initiative to transform how heart valve disease is detected and managed, funding three major medical centers to develop strategies for identifying the condition earlier and delaying its progression. This investment comes as global cases exceed 80 million, with the condition contributing to more than 57,000 annual deaths in the United States alone.
Heart valve disease occurs when one or more of the heart’s four valves become narrowed or fail to close properly, restricting blood flow or causing it to flow backward. The condition often progresses silently without early warning signs, becoming more common with age, and can lead to heart failure, arrhythmia, reduced quality of life and early death if left untreated. ‘By the time symptoms appear, damage may already be done – making early detection and treatment essential,’ said Stacey E. Rosen, M.D., FAHA, volunteer president of the American Heart Association.
The four-year awards, which began April 1, 2026, establish the Strategically Focused Research Network on Earlier Detection and Delaying Progression of Valvular Heart Disease. This represents the latest in a series of research networks funded by the Association, which has invested nearly $300 million across 19 such networks addressing various cardiovascular health challenges. The American Heart Association has now funded more than $6.1 billion in cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and brain health research since 1949.
Mass General Brigham’s VALVE-iPROTECT Center, led by Elena Aikawa, M.D., Ph.D., FAHA, will focus on calcific aortic stenosis (AS), a serious condition where the aortic valve gradually stiffens and narrows. Currently, no medication can stop or slow this disease, so patients are typically monitored until valve replacement becomes necessary. The center aims to identify who is most at risk by studying the earliest molecular changes that trigger valve calcification, using advanced imaging to track active disease, and developing clinical calculators to detect issues before major damage is visible. Researchers will examine how cholesterol-related inflammation and calcium buildup, particularly involving a blood particle called lipoprotein(a) or Lp(a), drive disease progression years before symptoms appear.
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center will lead the Strategic Hub for Interventions to Promote Early Detection and Lifelong Protection from Advanced Rheumatic Heart Disease (SHIELD) Center, focusing on rheumatic heart disease (RHD), the leading cause of heart valve disease in children and young adults affecting at least 55 million people worldwide. The center represents a global collaboration including partnerships in Uganda, Brazil, and Timor‑Leste. SHIELD will test strategies such as artificial intelligence-supported heart screening to detect RHD earlier, digital patient registries to connect people to ongoing care, and community-based support systems to help patients stay on preventive medications. The center aims to demonstrate how World Health Organization recommendations for heart ultrasound screening and ongoing care can be implemented effectively across different settings.
The University of Pittsburgh’s Center For Aortic Valve Disease Prediction And Integrated Research, led by Cynthia St. Hilaire, Ph.D., FAHA, will investigate how known risk factors, systemic inflammation, and biomechanical forces interact to sensitize valves toward calcification. Researchers will build more realistic laboratory systems to study disease progression under conditions of actual valve motion and blood flow, addressing why some people with high Lp(a) levels develop valve disease while others do not. The center aims to identify people at highest risk using practical biomarkers, clinical imaging, and machine learning, while developing treatments that block early calcification processes.
These research efforts align with the American Heart Association’s broader Heart Valve Initiative and Target: Aortic Stenosis™ quality improvement program, which support clinicians and health systems in improving patient care. The Association has identified heart valve disease as a key focus area, with this new research network extending impact earlier in the disease process through innovative scientific exploration. According to a recent Annenberg Policy Center poll, more than 8 in 10 U.S. adults express confidence in the American Heart Association to provide trustworthy public health information.
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