Calcified Aortic Valve Stenosis - What Is It?
According to reports, aortic stenosis is relatively common problem effecting roughly 2% of people over the age of 65, 3% of people over the age of 75, and 4% of people over the age of 85.
One of the major causes of stenosis is the calcification of the aortic heart valve. This is especially likely to occur in people with a bicuspid aortic valve, but also occurs as a result of age-induced ‘wear and tear’.
Typically, aortic stenosis due to calcification of a bicuspid valve occurs in the 4th of 5th decade of life, whereas that due to calcified aortic valve stenosis of a normal valve tends to occur later - around the 7th or 8th decade.
Of the various forms of aortic stenosis, the calcific type is predominant. Since calcific aortic stenosis shares many pathological features and risk factors with atherosclerosis, and since atherosclerosis may be prevented and/or reversed by cholesterol lowering, there has been interest in attempting to modify the course of calcific aortic stenosis by cholesterol lowering with statin drugs. Although a number of small, observational studies demonstrated an association between lowered cholesterol and decreased progression, and even regression, of calcific aortic stenosis, a recent, large randomized clinical trial, published in 2005, failed to find any predictable effect of cholesterol lowering on calcific aortic stenosis. However, a 2007 study did demonstrate a slowing of aortic stenosis with the statin rosuvastatin.
So you know, I suffered from calcified aortic valve stenosis as indicated above. When I reached the age of 33, my bicuspid aortic valve had become severely stenotic. While I was mostly asymptomatic, blood flow through my aortic valve was hindered and my heart had already begun to enlarge (dilate).
Luckily, I caught this severe heart valve disease just before permanent damage was done to my cardiac muscle. I’ll never forget what Dr. Starnes said to me after my aortic valve replacement. Doctor Starnes said, “Adam - We caught this just in time. The valve was very calcified, very white, very sick!”
I hope that helps explain more about the impact of calcium deposits building up on the aortic valve.
Keep on tickin!
Adam Pick is a double, heart valve surgery patient and author of The Patient’s Guide To Heart Valve Surgery, a unique book which integrates the clinical facts of heart valve surgery with the personal experiences of an actual heart valve surgery patient. To learn more about Adam and his heart valve surgery book, click here.
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September 11th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
And I would suppose the same sort of problem with calcified leaflets of the mitral valve, which is what I now have. I am also getting a review with Dr. Starnes at USC about my repair/replacement options. I have been told I could wait a year … but I’m thinking … this isn’t something that is going to go away or even improve if left for a year. And I don’t want the heart muscle to become any more enlarged than it is at this point. I pretty much have decided to have my surgery done ASAP after I hear from Dr. Adams in NY & Dr. Starnes in CA at USC. At age 55 replacement has been recommended so far, as the pig or cow valves are good for only 10 yrs. I don’t want to do this more than I absolutely have too!!
June 23rd, 2009 at 8:36 am
Hi, my sister underwent valve replacement surgury but once they opened her there was calcification and the surgeon closed her up and did nothing.
Now we are awaitng surgury again, but this time in Toronto, Ontario,
But now she has had trouble breathing, and a pacemaker was put in, also she has now a breathing tube , and ventilator. now she has developed a bit of pneumonia, she has to wait 2 weeks for the surgeon to come back from vacation to do the valve replacement in Toronto. I am worried she won’t make it until then. What can we do ?
very worried.