Question
My 86-year-old mom just passed away from aortic valve stenosis. Should I contact my doctor and have my heart checked out? I've heard that most heart exams are geared for men more so than women. What should I do?
Answer
I am so sorry to hear about your mother. Aortic valve stenosis is a narrowing of one of your heart's valves that prevents it from opening fully. This can obstruct blood flow in the heart from going onward to the rest of your body. As the valve gets more narrow, the heart has to work harder and this can eventually lead to weakening of the heart muscle. Common symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath, lightheadedness or fainting.
Although there are some hereditary or congenital causes of aortic stenosis, most commonly it occurs with age as the aortic valve accumulates calcium deposits leading to the obstruction. It is important that you see your physician regularly and especially if you have any new cardiovascular symptoms. Your doctor should do a complete physical exam including listening to the heart to assess for the presence of any cardiac murmurs. If a murmur is present, the doctor may order imaging studies such as an ultrasound of the heart to assess for the presence of aortic stenosis.
I would disagree with the idea that most heart exams are geared for men more than women. The usual tests ordered to evaluate for cardiovascular disease or valvular heart disease (such as aortic stenosis) do not make any gender distinction. I would encourage women to see a female doctor or cardiologist only if they would feel more comfortable doing so, not because of perceived cardiac testing bias.