Sometimes symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain and fatigue can be more than just signs of getting older. They could be an indication of heart valve disease.
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Once your aortic stenosis becomes severe, and you begin to have symptoms, getting treated immediately is important.
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Your Life belongs to you, not severe symptomatic aortic stenosis, also known as heart valve failure.
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The heart team works together to determine the right treatment option for each individual patient.
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Tips on talking to your doctor
Tips Talking to your DoctorHeart valve disease occurs when one or more of the four valves in your heart doesn’t work properly. This can cause the blood flow between your heart and your body to be disrupted and can lead to many health problems.1
There are many types of heart valve disease including the most common one among elderly patients – aortic stenosis.1
Over 97,000 Australians have severe Aortic Stenosis2
Learn more about aortic stenosis.
The answer lies in your symptoms.
Your doctor can examine your heart and determine if you have heart valve disease.
Talk to your doctor if you have any of these symptoms.3
Most people experiencing symptoms of heart valve diseases dismiss them as signs of aging.3,4
However, they may become serious if left untreated.5
The good news is that most of these diseases can be treated.6
The sooner heart valve disease is diagnosed and treated, the better are your chances of a full recovery.7
Guide for talking to your doctor.
Thickening of valves due to aging or calcium buildup8
Infections like rheumatic fever, which may thicken the heart valves8,3
Missing or malformed heart valves at birth3
Heart attack, failure or infection causing heart valve damage3
References
1. Bouma BJ, van den Brink RBA, van der Meulen JHP et al. To operate or not on elderly patients with aortic stenosis: the decision and its consequences. Heart 1999 Aug; 82: 143–8.
2. Strange et al. BMC Health Services Research (2021) 21:790. Otto CM. VALVE DISEASE: timing of aortic valve surgery. Heart. 2000;84(2):211-218.
Local data from the National Echo Database of Australia (NEDA) shows that 97,379 Australians have severe Aortic Stenosis
3. Mayo Clinic. Heart Valve Disease. Available at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-valve-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20353727. Accessed 17 October 2023.
4. Osnabrugge RLJ, et al. J Am Coll Cardiol 2013;62:1002–12.
5. American Heart Association. Aortic Stenosis Overview. Available at: https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-valve-problems-and-disease/heart-valve-problems-and-causes. Accessed 17 October 2023.
6. The Heart Foundation. Australia. What is heart valve disease. Available at: https://heartfoundation.org.au/bundles/your-heart/heart-valve-disease. Accessed 17 October 2023.
7. Bartoli-Leonard F and Aikawa E. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2020; 7: 602271.
8. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Valvular Heart Disease. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/heart... Accessed 17 October 2023.
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