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

Answer From Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D.

Aortic valve calcification is a condition in which calcium deposits form on the aortic valve in the heart. These deposits can cause narrowing at the opening of the aortic valve. This narrowing can become severe enough to reduce blood flow through the aortic valve — a condition called aortic valve stenosis.

Aortic valve calcification may be an early sign that you have heart disease, even if you don't have any other heart disease symptoms.

Calcification and stenosis generally affects people older than age 65. When it occurs in younger people, it's often caused by:

  • A heart defect that's present at birth
  • 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 requires regular checkups to make sure your 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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Feb. 19, 2021 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