The aims of the evaluation of patients with VHD are to diagnose, quantify and assess the mechanism of VHD as well as its consequences. Precise evaluation of the patient's history and symptomatic status as well as proper physical examination, in particular auscultation and search for heart failure signs, are crucial for the diagnosis and management of VHD.
The level of evidence and the strength of the recommendation of particular management options were weighed and graded according to predefined scales.