As many of you know, I like to search the Internet for the latest research specific to heart valve surgery and heart valve disease.

I just learned some really interesting facts about the frequency of patient diagnosis of [1] aortic valve stenosis (narrowing of the heart valves) for people over the age of 65:

• Approximately two percent (2%) of people over the age of 65 have aortic stenosis.
• Three percent (3%) of people over age 75.
• Four percent (4%) of people over age 85 have the disorder.

In adults, three conditions are known to cause aortic stenosis — progressive wear and tear of a [2] bicuspid valve present since birth (most people have a tricuspid valve), wear and tear of the aortic valve in the elderly, and scarring of the aortic valve due to rheumatic fever as a child or young adult.

As you may be aware, a bicuspid aortic valve is the most common cause of aortic stenosis in patients under age 65. Normal aortic valves have three thin leaflets called cusps. About two percent of people are born with aortic valves that have only two cusps (bicuspid valves). Although bicuspid valves usually do not impede blood flow when the patients are young, they do not open as widely as normal valves with three cusps. Therefore, blood flow across the bicuspid valves is more turbulent, causing increased wear and tear on the valve leaflets.

So you know, I had my [3] bicuspid aortic valve replaced at the age of 33.

Keep on tickin!

[4] To learn more about Adam and his heart valve surgery book, click here.