Gender Bias

Valvular heart disease (VHD) is a major global health issue. Untreated rheumatic heart disease persists in many regions, preventable with timely care. Higher-income countries face rising calcific valve disease from aging, worsened by VHD complications, like infective endocarditis, resulting in higher morbidity/mortality. Gender disparities in VHD remains understudied, despite inequalities in risks, diagnosis, and treatment. Prevalence varies by gender, but uneven diagnostics and therapies obscure realities. This registry will examine gender disparities from hospital admission to first outpatient follow-up, recruiting both men and women to investigate and report the study objectives.