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Complications
By Mayo Clinic staffAortic valve stenosis — of any cause — can be a serious condition because it can weaken the heart. If the aortic valve is narrowed, the left ventricle has to work harder to pump a sufficient amount of blood into the aorta and onward to the rest of your body. In response, the left ventricle may thicken and enlarge. At first these adaptations help the left ventricle pump blood with more force. But eventually these changes weaken the left ventricle — and your heart overall.
Left unchecked, aortic valve stenosis can lead to life-threatening heart problems, including:
- Heart failure
- Irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias)
- Cardiac arrest
- Chest pain (angina)
Aortic valve stenosis also increases the risk of bacteria entering your bloodstream and causing an infection in your heart (endocarditis). If the aortic valve is narrowed, it's more prone to infection than a healthy valve.
If you have aortic valve stenosis, you may need to take antibiotics before certain dental or medical procedures that may increase the risk of endocarditis.
- Aortic valve stenosis (AS) and aortic insufficiency (AI). American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1659. Accessed July 6, 2009.
- Aortic stenosis. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec07/ch076/ch076c.html. Accessed July 6, 2009.
- Grimard BH, et al. Aortic stenosis: Diagnosis and treatment. American Family Physician. 2008;78:717.
- Otto CM, et al. Valvular heart disease. In: Libby P, et al., eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4106-1..50065-0&uniq=148441160&isbn=978-1-4160-4106-1&sid=860585891. Accessed July 6, 2009.
- Otto CM. Pathophysiology and clinical features of valvular aortic stenosis in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 6, 2009.
- Ardehali R, et al. Valvular heart disease. In: Nilsson KR, et al. The Osler Medical Handbook. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2006. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/148441160-4/860446560/1387/28.html#4-u1.0-B0-323-03748-8..50017-8_181. Accessed July 6, 2009.
- Carabello BA. Valvular heart disease. In: Goldman L, et al., eds. Goldman: Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/148441160-6/860446560/1492/318.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2805-5..50080-X_3105. Accessed July 6, 2009.
- Otto CM. Medical therapy in asymptomatic aortic stenosis in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 6, 2009.
- Grogan M (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. July 19, 2009.
