title: Prevalence of chronic rheumatic heart disease in Chinese adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Rheumatic heart disease continues to be a common health problem in the developing countries. Though there is evidence indicating that rheumatic heart disease prevalence in China has decreased since the 1950s, no objective assessment of its present prevalence has been published. The study was designed to investigate the prevalence of chronic rheumatic heart disease in China.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a community population based investigation from October 2001 to February 2002 in nine communities of nine provinces in China by using a multistage, random sample design. Rheumatic heart disease was diagnosed by echocardiographic imaging. Long-axis views of the mitral valve, color flow recordings were used to search for mitral and aortic regurgitations. M-mode and two-dimensional short- and long-axis views of the aortic root and left atrium were recorded for supporting the diagnosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 9124 participants, 8652 completed the questionnaires and 8080 had comprehensive echocardiographic examinations. We found that 15 subjects had definite echocardiographic evidence of rheumatic heart disease. The rough prevalence of rheumatic heart disease was 186/100,000 adults (2 in 1000 adults).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rheumatic heart disease affected approximately 2 million middle-aged to elderly Chinese, thus constituting a significant health burden. We investigated only urban and suburban communities, the result may underestimate the real prevalence of the disease in China.
authors.affiliation: Department of Echocardiography, Fu wai Hospital and Cardiovascular Institute, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100037, PR China.
authors.forename: Wang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhimin
authors.forename: Zou
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yubao
authors.forename: Song
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.forename: Zhou
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xianliang
authors.forename: Zhang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Shen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jianjun
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Detrano
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rutai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012214:Rheumatic Heart Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*