Is aortic valve calcification a sign I am developing heart disease?

Answer From Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D.

The aortic valve is between the lower left heart chamber and the body's main artery (aorta). Aortic valve calcification is a condition in which calcium deposits form on the aortic valve. These deposits can cause the valve opening to become narrow. Severe narrowing can reduce blood flow through the aortic valve — a condition called aortic valve stenosis.

Aortic valve calcification may be an early sign of heart disease, even if there aren't any other heart disease symptoms.

Calcification and stenosis generally affect older adults. When it occurs in younger people, it's often caused by:

  • A heart defect that's present at birth (congenital heart defect)
  • Other illnesses, such as kidney failure

Aortic valve sclerosis — thickening and stiffness of the valve and mild aortic calcification — usually doesn't cause significant heart problems. But it requires regular checkups to make sure the condition isn't worsening. If the valve becomes severely narrowed (stenotic), aortic valve replacement surgery may be necessary.

With

Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D.

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July 09, 2022 See more Expert Answers

See also

  1. Aortic valve disease
  2. Aortic valve repair and aortic valve replacement
  3. Aortic valve repair in children
  4. Aortic valve stenosis
  5. Robot-assisted minimally invasive mitral valve repair at Mayo Clinic
  6. Valve problems in children with heart disease: What patients and families should know
  7. Cardiac catheterization
  8. Chest X-rays
  9. Doppler ultrasound: What is it used for?
  10. Echocardiogram
  11. Ejection fraction: What does it measure?
  12. Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)
  13. Fatigue
  14. Flu shots and heart disease
  15. Heart murmurs
  16. Heart palpitations
  17. Heart valve surgery
  18. Minimally invasive heart surgery
  19. Pseudoaneurysm: What causes it?
  20. Ross procedure
  21. Shortness of breath
  22. TAVR animation
  23. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
  24. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
  25. Valve problems in children with heart disease: What patients and families should know