Types of Heart Valve Disease

Your heart has four valves and they work to keep blood flowing in the right direction through your heart and to the rest of your body. When one of your heart valves becomes stiff or leaky, it can affect how well your heart works.

Your heart’s valves have flaps, called leaflets or cusps, that open and close along with your heartbeat to keep blood flowing in the right direction. When they don’t work properly, your heart has to work harder. This can cause complications and even heart failure.

At Banner Health, we care for a range of heart valve conditions. Learn about the different types of valve disease, how they can impact your health and the steps you can take if you have a heart valve condition.

What are the different types of heart valve disease?

Heart valve disease occurs when one or more valves do not work as they should. There are different types of heart valve conditions. They vary based on the valve that’s affected and what’s not working properly.

Aortic stenosis

Aortic stenosis happens when the aortic valve is narrowed or stiff, often due to calcification (buildup of calcium). This valve normally opens to let blood flow from your heart to the rest of your body. With aortic stenosis, your heart has to work harder to pump blood out to the body.  As a result, your blood pressure rises in your heart leading to heart failure.

Aortic stenosis may develop over time and it is more common in older adults. Symptoms can include:

• Shortness of breath or feeling winded
• Fatigue or tiredness
• Chest pain, tightness or pressure (angina)
• Dizziness or fainting during activity

In severe cases, you may need treatment such as transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) or valve replacement surgery.  It is important to get early treatment because aortic stenosis, when severe, can be life-threatening.

Learn more about aortic stenosis.

Mitral valve regurgitation

Mitral valve regurgitation affects the flow of blood in the two left chambers of your heart: the left atrium and the left ventricle. With this condition, the mitral valve does not close tightly, causing blood to leak backward from your left ventricle to your left atrium. As a result, the lungs have difficulty emptying, leading to pressure build-up, often described as congestive heart failure. The heart may then become enlarged and the condition can be life-threatening.

Some patients with mitral valve regurgitation are diagnosed with prolapse (when the valves don’t close properly).  While other patients may have mitral valve regurgitation due to enlargement of the heart caused by other conditions such as coronary artery disease or an inheritable condition, like cardiomyopathy.   

You could have mitral valve regurgitation and not notice any symptoms for many years. When symptoms develop, they may include:

• Feeling tired or weak
• Irregular heartbeat or abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia)
• Swelling in your legs or feet
• Shortness of breath

For serious cases of mitral valve regurgitation, you may need a procedure like transcatheter mitral repair (MitraClip, PASCAL), replacement or surgery. There are many treatments now available to prevent or alleviate heart failure due to mitral regurgitation.

Learn more about mitral valve treatment options.

Tricuspid valve regurgitation

The tricuspid valve separates the two right chambers of the heart, the right atrium and the right ventricle. If it does not close completely or properly, blood flows backward into the right atrium causing problems with blood flow to the lungs and leading to low output from the heart. Pressure can also build up and cause congestion or extra fluid in the liver, kidneys and legs or belly. In some instances, the damage to these organs can be severe.

The symptoms of tricuspid valve regurgitation are often vague, like tiredness, and can easily be confused with aging. Symptoms of tricuspid valve regurgitation can include:

• Swelling in the belly, legs or feet (edema)
• Fatigue or tiredness
• Loss of appetite 
• General malaise.
• Pulsing in the neck veins
• Irregular heartbeat

New minimally invasive treatments, like the TriClip and Evoque devices, can treat tricuspid regurgitation with short hospital stays, and lead to significant improvements in symptoms and quality-of-life.

Learn more about tricuspid valve treatment options.

Other valve conditions

Aortic, mitral, and tricuspid valve disease are the most common types of heart valve disease. Other common valve problems include:

• Bicuspid aortic valve: The aortic valve has two cusps instead of three. Most people with this condition are born with it. Many people don’t have symptoms until they’re adults.
• Mitral valve stenosis: The mitral valve is narrow, often thickened or calcified, so it doesn’t open properly. This condition can lead to pressure build up in the lungs (pulmonary hypertension), which may be serious.
• Pulmonary valve stenosis or regurgitation: The valve that leads from the right ventricle to the lungs is narrow and/or leaky. It’s often caused by a heart problem that began before birth, but people with mild cases may not have symptoms.
• Infective endocarditis: Bacteria that infects and damages the heart valves and chambers. It can occur randomly or be related to intravenous drug use.  Its occurrence is often life-threatening and requires highly experienced proceduralists and surgeons for treatment. 

If you have a valve abnormality or heart murmur, stay connected with your health care provider for regular check-ups and monitoring.

How are heart valve conditions diagnosed and treated?

If your health care provider thinks you may have a heart valve condition, they will start with a physical exam and heart tests. Even if you have heart valve disease, it may not need to be treated right away. If you do need treatment, options may include observation, medicines, or surgery to repair or replace the valve.

Learn how heart valve disease is diagnosed and treated.

Take the next step

Get the personalized care your heart deserves. At Banner Health, we are here to guide you every step of the way. Schedule an appointment with a heart specialist at Banner Health.