Library · Disease
Aortic stenosis
Make it clearer
Aortic stenosis is narrowing of the aortic valve, the gate through which the left ventricle, the chamber that pumps blood to the rest of the body, pushes that blood out. When the valve narrows, the outflow is obstructed.
It is a doorway that has narrowed: pushing the same amount through takes more force. That extra push raises the ventricle's systolic pressure, the pressure at the moment it contracts, and increases its afterload, the resistance it has to work against. The ventricle responds by gaining mass, that is, by thickening its wall, and over time that thickened wall stops working well and ends in failure.
The narrowing can be present from birth, can come from calcium deposited on the valve, or can follow rheumatic disease. There is a long stage with no symptoms at all, and then come shortness of breath on exertion, called dyspnea, chest pain or angina, fainting spells or syncope, and finally heart failure.
In brief
Aortic stenosis is narrowing of the aortic valve, which obstructs the outflow of blood from the left ventricle.
That obstruction raises left ventricular systolic pressure and increases afterload, and the ventricle responds by gaining mass, which eventually ends in dysfunction and failure.
It is a doorway that has narrowed: pushing the same amount through takes more force.
The narrowing may be congenital, calcific, or rheumatic, and after a long symptom-free stage come exertional dyspnea, angina, syncope, and heart failure.
Sources (1)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingAortic Stenosis, StatPearlsPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated