Heart Valve Disease

Heart valve disease affects the valves that regulate blood flow through the heart. About five million Americans each year are diagnosed with heart valve disease.

Your heart has four valves — the aortic, mitral, pulmonic and tricuspid valves — that regulate blood so it flows only in one direction through the heart. Some people are born with a malformed heart valve. Others develop heart valve disease after an infection such as rheumatic fever or endocarditis damages their heart. Still others develop it with age, when the heart valves can become stiff and calcified.

There are two main types of heart valve disease: Valvular stenosis and valvular insufficiency (also called regurgitation).

Valvular Stenosis

Stenosis occurs when the tissues of a valve become stiff and don’t fully open, limiting the blood that can flow out of the heart.

• Aortic stenosis — is a common and serious valve disease that typically develops during older age, when calcium and scarring can damage the aortic valve. Aortic stenosis limits blood flowing into the body’s main artery, and can cause symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath and fainting. The only definitive treatment is aortic valve replacement.
• Mitral stenosis — limits blood flowing into the left ventricle of the heart, and can cause symptoms such as fatigue and shortness of breath. It is usually caused by rheumatic fever, and is rare in the United States, where antibiotics are used to prevent serious infections. Treatments include medications to control symptoms, and valve repair or replacement.
• Pulmonary stenosis — limits blood flow to the lungs, and is usually caused by a birth defect. It can cause symptoms such as fatigue, fainting, chest pain and shortness of breath. People with mild pulmonary stenosis don’t need treatment, but if the condition gets worse, the valve can be repaired or replaced by surgery.
• Tricuspid stenosis — restricts blood flow between sections of the heart, and can cause symptoms such as palpitations, fluttering in the chest, fatigue and cold skin. It is usually caused by rheumatic fever or infectious endocarditis, and is rare in the United States where antibiotics are used to prevent serious infections. Treatments include medications to control symptoms, and valve repair or replacement.

Valvular Insufficiency (Regurgitation)

Often called “leaky valve,” valvular insufficiency occurs when a valve doesn’t close completely, allowing blood to leak backwards within the heart. If not repaired or placed, a severely regurgitant valve can lead to congestive heart failure.

Symptoms of congestive heart failure include swollen ankles and feet, fatigue, chest pain and shortness of breath. In mild cases, medications can control symptoms.

This type of valve disease may be caused by a birth defect, rheumatic fever or infectious endocarditis, injury or diseases such as lupus or Marfan syndrome. Aortic insufficiency can also be caused by calcium deposits that build up on the aortic valve with age.