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Definition

By Mayo Clinic staff

Heart-Healthy Living

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Aortic valve stenosis — or aortic stenosis — occurs when the heart's aortic valve narrows. This narrowing prevents the valve from opening fully, which obstructs blood flow from your heart into your aorta and onward to the rest of your body.

When the aortic valve is obstructed, your heart needs to work harder to pump blood to your body. Eventually, this extra work limits the amount of blood it can pump and may weaken your heart muscle, leading to symptoms, such as fatigue and dizziness.

If you have severe aortic valve stenosis, you'll usually need surgery to replace the valve. Left untreated, aortic valve stenosis can lead to serious heart problems.

Symptoms
References
  1. Aortic valve stenosis (AVS). American Heart Association. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/CongenitalHeartDefects/AboutCongenitalHeartDefects/Aortic-Valve-Stenosis-AVS_UCM_307020_Article.jsp. Accessed June 10, 2011.
  2. Rakel RE, et al. Valvular heart disease. In: Rakel RE. Textbook of Family Medicine. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2011. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4377-1160-8..10027-2--s0310&isbn=978-1-4377-1160-8&uniqId=258746827-3. Accessed June 12, 2011.
  3. Grimard BH, et al. Aortic stenosis: Diagnosis and treatment. American Family Physician. 2008;78:717.
  4. Aortic valve stenosis (AS) and aortic insufficiency (AI). American Heart Association. http://www.heart.org/idc/groups/heart-public/@wcm/@hcm/documents/downloadable/ucm_307649.pdf. Accessed June 12, 2011.
  5. Aortic stenosis. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec07/ch076/ch076c.html. Accessed June 12, 2011.
  6. Otto CM, et al. Valvular Heart Disease. In: Bonow RO, et al. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2011. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4377-0398-6..00066-4&isbn=978-1-4377-0398-6&uniqId=258746827-3#4-u1.0-B978-1-4377-0398-6..00066-4--s0060. Accessed June 12, 2011.
  7. How the healthy heart works. American Heart Association. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/CongenitalHeartDefects/AboutCongenitalHeartDefects/How-the-Healthy-Heart-Works_UCM_307016_Article.jsp. Accessed June 12, 2011.
  8. Zigelman CZ, et al. Aortic Valve Stenosis. Anesthesiology Clinics. 2009;27:519.
  9. Carabello BA, et al. Aortic stenosis. In: Crawford MH. Current Diagnosis & Treatment: Cardiology. 3rd ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2009. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3646810&searchStr=aortic+valve+stenosis#3646810. Accessed June 12, 2011.
  10. Coeytaux RR, et al. Percutaneous heart valve replacement for aortic stenosis: State of the evidence. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2010;153:314.
  11. Smith CR, et al. Transcatheter versus surgical aortic-valve replacement in high-risk patients. New England Journal of Medicine. 2011;364:2187.
  12. Lockhart PB, et al. Poor oral hygiene as a risk factor for infective endocarditis-related bacteremia. Journal of the American Dental Association. 2009;140:1238.
DS00418 July 13, 2012

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