Diseases of the heart valves

Narrowing (stenosis) and leakage (insufficiency) are the most common valve defects.

Diseases of the heart valves most often affect the mitral valve (between the left atrium and the left ventricle) and the aortic valve (between the left ventricle and the aorta).

Heart valve diseases Heart valve defect impairs blood flow Function of healthy heart valves Narrowed heart valves (stenosis) Leaky heart valves (insufficiency) Combined valve disease (valvular vitiation) Symptoms of heart valve diseases Examination and diagnosis of heart valve diseases

Heart valve disease

Causes of the disease of the heart valves are usually age-related degeneration. With age, they thicken due to calcification. The aorta becomes more inelastic, increasing blood pressure and stress on the mitral valve, and the heart needs extra oxygen to pump enough blood.

The most common diseases of the heart valves are:

Aortic valve stenosis (narrowing)
Mitral valve regurgitation (inability to close)
Aortic valve regurgitation (inability to close)
Mitral valve stenosis (narrowing)
Tricuspid regurgitation (inability to close)

The heart valves of the right heart are very rarely affected by changes. The most common valve defects are aortic valve stenosis and mitral valve regurgitation.

These age-related changes, once severe, can lead to disabling symptoms and even heart failure.

Heart valve defect impairs blood flow

Disease of the heart valves impairs blood flow

When a heart valve is diseased, they can no longer perform the valve function properly. This alters the blood flow within the heart, throwing the entire circulatory system into disarray. As the disease progresses, not enough blood - oxygen and nutrients - gets to the body, which can lead to shortness of breath and fainting spells.

Valve diseases mostly develop in adults at an advanced age, especially following certain infectious diseases or inflammations of a rheumatic nature, which may also have occurred many years before a valve disease. The first sign of valve disease is usually a drop in physical performance or shortness of breath after exertion, such as when climbing stairs.

Function of the healthy heart valves

Heart Valves

The four heart valves are the valves in the heart that ensure the orderly flow of blood in the heart. They are formed by the inner lining of the heart (endocardium).

The heart valves control the flow of blood from the atria to the ventricles and from the ventricles to the great arteries by opening and closing in a timed manner.

The tricuspid and mitral valves are located between the atria and the ventricles. The pulmonary valve and aortic valve are located at the junction of the ventricles and the large blood vessels, the pulmonary artery and the aorta, respectively.

Constricted heart valves (stenosis)

Heart valve defects in the form of a narrowing (stenosis) of the heart valves have their causes in calcifications (sclerosis), which make the valves inflexible. Causes of sclerosis of the heart valve can be the natural aging process, but also poor diet and insufficient exercise. In ten percent of cases, stenoses are congenital heart valve defects. Rarely, rheumatic or bacterial inflammation of the inner lining of the heart (endocarditis) are the causes of stenoses.

The following valvular stenosis diseases are treated at the Heart Valve Center.

Leaky heart valves (insufficiency)

Valvular insufficiency is a heart valve defect in which the heart valve does not close completely. After the valve closes, the insufficiency causes blood to flow either from the ventricle into the atrium or from the artery back into the ventricle. Due to the additional blood volume flowing back (volume load), the ventricle expands and the heart muscle thickens. Progressive valve insufficiency also leads to cardiac insufficiency. The following valvular insufficiency diseases are treated at the Heart Valve Center.

Combined valvular disease (valvular vitiation)

Combined diseases of the heart valves (valvular vitiation)

The disease of a heart valve leads to either a narrowing (stenosis) or a leakage (insufficiency). There can also be a combination (combined valvular defect) of both functional disorders of the valve.

Acquired valve dysfunction in the right heart is less common because the valves of the right heart are mechanically less stressed than the valves of the left heart due to lower pressures.

Symptoms of heart valve disease

Diseases and defects of the heart valves can be asymptomatic. In most cases, however, diseased heart valves sooner or later cause symptoms.

Since all types of valvular heart disease can affect the function of the heart, the symptoms of each valvular defect are comparable.

Diseases of the heart valves alter the flow rate and filling pressure of the blood in the heart as well as in the surrounding organs (such as the lungs).

Blood may back up, which can lead to a change in the structure of the heart muscle. Likewise, the lungs and vessels can change. Possible consequences of these changes are the development of heart failure and high blood pressure.

Important symptoms that indicate such a heart valve defect are shortness of breath, which occurs especially during physical exertion, rapid fatigue and a sharp drop in performance. If cardiac arrhythmias occur, the symptoms can be additionally intensified.

Symptoms of valvular heart disease

Examination and diagnosis of diseases of the heart valves