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Aortic valve disease, which is an abnormality in the functioning of the aortic valve, and aortic aneurysms are among the common instances that pose a serious hazard to life. The incidence of acquired valvular heart disease is higher in the age group of 31-40 years (32%), followed by the 21-30 year age group (28%)¹. Aortic diseases may result in ripping, dissection, or rupture, all of which are medical emergencies. Maintaining heart health can also help preserve the health of the aorta. This entails quitting smoking, exercising regularly, managing stress, and maintaining a balanced diet low in cholesterol and saturated fat.
Synopsis
Aortic Valve Disease: What You Need to Know?
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The malfunctioning of the valve that connects the body's main artery to the lower left heart chamber is known as aortic valve disease. This illness may impact blood flow to the majority of the heart and body.
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Stenosis of the aorta is one possible reason; in this condition, the tissue flaps open and shut once every heartbeat, thickening and stiffening or joining together to limit the valve opening. The amount of blood that the heart pumps to the body is decreased by this restricted valve.
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Secondly, aortic valve regurgitation, due to which the blood might flow backwards into the left lower heart chamber, happens when the valve does not seal completely. Depending on the illness's nature and severity, treatment options vary, and some patients may need surgery to correct this issue.
Symptoms
People who have heart valve disease frequently have no symptoms. However, your heart pumps faster to compensate for the decreased blood supply as the heart valve issue gets worse. The following symptoms may start to show up when heart valve disease worsens over time:
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Breathlessness becomes worse, especially when you're moving or lying down.
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Palpitations (flip-flopping in the chest or missing beats).
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Ankle, foot, or abdominal swelling is known as oedema.
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Vertigo.
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The rapid increase in weight.
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Soreness in the chest, particularly after exertion.
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Tiredness.
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Fever, chills, or bodily pains might be signs that the valve illness is an infection.
Tips for Keeping Your Aorta Healthy
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Consume heart-healthy food: The aortic valve may constrict significantly more quickly in those with high cholesterol than those with normal cholesterol levels. Thus, it's critical to maintain healthy cholesterol levels. An individual's dietary habits influence the level of cholesterol. High cholesterol may be caused by a diet heavy in processed foods, notably refined carbohydrates.
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Monitor your blood pressure: The aortic valve is only one of the numerous cardiac structures and functions that can be impacted by high blood pressure. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is linked to an elevated danger of stenosis of the aortic valve.
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Give up smoking: Smoking harms your aortic valve, which should come as no surprise given that it causes one in three heart disease-related fatalities. In particular, smoking can hasten the artery-clogging plaque that surrounds the heart.
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Maintain good dental and gum health: As unlikely as it seems, your heart valves depend on the condition of your teeth and gums. Researchers think there may be a connection between heart and mouth infections, or gingivitis. Mouth bacteria can enter the circulation, travel to the heart, and infect delicate valves of heart. Individuals with artificial heart valves or heart valve dysfunction should be aware of this.
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Have a cardiac murmur examined: Bicuspid aortic valve disease is an aortic valve condition more common in those with cardiac murmurs. The illness is not well known, which is why several individuals who suffer from cardiac murmurs have not had their condition examined.
Consult our cardiology hospital in Dhakuria if you need treatment for diseases related to the valves of heart.
Treatment
Medical professionals may prescribe medications to treat or prevent heart failure or coronary artery disease, decrease blood pressure or cholesterol, prevent arrhythmias, and avoid blood clots. Most commonly, antiplatelet agents such as aspirin, clopidogrel, etc. are prescribed.
Valve surgery is a therapy option for cardiac illness, often combined with other procedures. Heart valve repair involves replacing malfunctioning valves without artificial components, reducing infection risk, reducing blood thinner usage, and maintaining heart muscle function. If repair isn't possible, valve replacement is required, with some individuals benefiting from minimally invasive repair or replacement.
Consult our cardiologist in Dhakuria if you need thoracic endovascular aortic repair or any other treatment for heart issues.
Conclusion
Aortic valve disease can develop without any symptoms and can still be very dangerous. Early detection and intervention can stop major or even fatal consequences and halt the development. Your physician can suggest an imaging examination to examine and measure the aorta to test for aortic valve disease. Making lifestyle modifications that are heart-healthy can help you live better with aortic valve disease and eventually improve your lifestyle. Manipal Hospitals is equipped with the best Cardiology Department in India, which provides world-class treatment for aortic valve disease and other heart diseases.
FAQ's
Years of research have demonstrated a strong correlation between cholesterol levels and cardiovascular disease. To determine your risk of heart disease, your doctor may order a lipid profile, which measures the amounts of triglycerides, HDL (good cholesterol), and LDL (bad cholesterol) in your blood.
The nicotine in tobacco, among other things, causes:
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Less oxygen reaches the heart
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Elevated heart rate and blood pressure
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Increased coagulopathy
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Harm to the blood vessels and coronary artery lining cells. To determine your risk of heart disease, your doctor may order a lipid profile, which measures the amounts of triglycerides, HDL (good cholesterol), and LDL (bad cholesterol) in your blood.
Not at all. If somebody under the age of 65 has any heart disease risk factors, they should closely monitor their symptoms. Although everybody ought to be equally mindful of their hearts, heart disease can happen to people of any age.
A heart-healthy diet includes the following:
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Vegetables and fruits
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Whole grains with lots of fibre
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Fish—particularly fatty fish—at least twice a week
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Limit alcohol intake to one drink each day
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2.3 grammes or less of sodium daily
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Fats that are saturated with less than 300 mg of cholesterol and less than 10% of calories per day
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Minimal consumption of trans fats (mostly from baked products and fried dishes cooked in partly hydrogenated vegetable oil)
Several of these risk factors can be managed with physical exercise by reducing triglycerides, a kind of blood fat, and blood pressure. Raising the levels of "good" cholesterol, or high-density lipoproteins, or HDL, is coupled with a lower-calorie diet, decreasing the chance of being overweight or obese.
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