Summary
Heart valve disease is a condition in which one or more of the valves in the heart don't open or close properly, disrupting the flow of blood through the heart to the body. Symptoms may include a whooshing sound (heart murmur) when a doctor listens to the heart with a stethoscope, chest pain, abdominal swelling, fatigue, and shortness of breath.
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Risk factors include older age, history of certain infections, history of certain forms of heart disease or heart attack, and high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and other heart disease risk factors.
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Complications of heart valve disease can include heart failure, stroke, blood clots, heart rhythm abnormalities, and death.
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The four heart valves are the mitral, tricuspid, pulmonary, and aortic valves, which open and close once per heartbeat to keep blood flowing in the right direction.
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The aortic valve is the final valve that oxygen-rich blood passes through before exiting the heart and coursing through the rest of the body, preventing blood from flowing back to the left ventricle.
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