Heart Valve Diseases: MedlinePlus

Heart Valve Diseases: MedlinePlus



A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health

Your heart has four valves. Normally, these valves open to let blood flow through or out of your heart, and then shut to keep it from flowing backward. But sometimes they don't work properly. If they don't, you could have

• Regurgitation - when blood leaks back through the valve in the wrong direction
• Mitral valve prolapse - when one of the valves, the mitral valve, has "floppy" flaps and doesn't close tightly. It's one of the most common heart valve conditions. Sometimes it causes regurgitation.
• Stenosis - when the valve doesn't open enough and blocks blood flow

Valve problems can be present at birth or caused by infections, heart attacks, or heart disease or damage. The main sign of heart valve disease is an unusual heartbeat sound called a heart murmur. Your doctor can hear a heart murmur with a stethoscope. But many people have heart murmurs without having a problem. Heart tests can show if you have a heart valve disease. Some valve problems are minor and do not need treatment. Others might require medicine, medical procedures, or surgery to repair or replace the valve.

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA  

• Absent pulmonary valve
• Aortic insufficiency
• Aortic stenosis
• Aortic valve surgery - minimally invasive
• Aortic valve surgery - open
• Bicuspid aortic valve
• Cardiac catheterization
• Cardiac catheterization - discharge
• Chest x-ray
• Coronary angiography
• 
  

  

Related Topics

• Cardiac Rehabilitation
• Mitral Valve Prolapse
• Blood, Heart and Circulation

National Institutes of Health

• The primary NIH organization for research on Heart Valve Diseases is the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

• Start Here

  • Heart Valve Disease(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
  • Heart Valves Explained(American Heart Association)

How to Assess Your Shoe IQ

09/03/2014 02:39 PM EDT

Source: American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society
Related MedlinePlus Page: Toe Injuries and Disorders

Heart Valve Surgery Recovery and Follow Up

09/03/2014 02:23 PM EDT

Source: American Heart Association
Related MedlinePlus Page: Heart Valve Diseases

Medications for Heart Valve Symptoms

09/03/2014 02:23 PM EDT

Source: American Heart Association
Related MedlinePlus Page: Heart Valve Diseases

Risks for Heart Valve Problems

09/03/2014 02:23 PM EDT

Source: American Heart Association
Related MedlinePlus Page: Heart Valve Diseases

What Causes Heart Murmurs?

09/03/2014 02:23 PM EDT

Source: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute - 
Related MedlinePlus Page: Heart Valve Diseases

How Is a Heart Murmur Diagnosed?

09/03/2014 02:23 PM EDT

Source: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute - 
Related MedlinePlus Page: Heart Valve Diseases

Recognizing the Symptoms of Worsening Heart Valve Disease

09/03/2014 02:23 PM EDT

Source: American Heart Association
Related MedlinePlus Page: Heart Valve Diseases

• Overviews

  • Understanding Heart Valve Problems and Causes(American Heart Association)
  • Valve Disease(Texas Heart Institute)
  • Also available in Spanish

• Latest News

  • Skin Cells Used to Create Heart Valve for Growing Kids(09/03/2014, HealthDay)

• Diagnosis/Symptoms

  • Cardiac Catheterization(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
  • Cardiac MRI(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
  • Chest X Ray(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
  • Doppler Ultrasound: What Is It Used for?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Echocardiography(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
  • Ejection Fraction: What Does It Measure?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Electrocardiogram(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
  •  How Is a Heart Murmur Diagnosed?(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
  • How Is Heart Valve Disease Diagnosed?(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
  • Stress Testing(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
  • Transesophageal Echocardiography(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
  • What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Heart Valve Disease?(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
  • When a Heart Murmur Signals Valve Disease(American Heart Association)

• Treatment

  • Aortic Valve(Society of Thoracic Surgeons)
  • How Is a Heart Murmur Treated?(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
  • How Is Heart Valve Disease Treated?(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
  •  Medications for Heart Valve Symptoms(American Heart Association)
  • Mitral Valve Repair(Society of Thoracic Surgeons)
  • Mitral Valve Replacement(Society of Thoracic Surgeons)
  • Options for Heart Valve Replacement(American Heart Association)
  • Valve Repair or Replacement(Texas Heart Institute)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • What Is Heart Valve Surgery?(American Heart Association) - PDF
  • Also available in Spanish
  • What Is TAVR?(American Heart Association)
  • Return to top

• Prevention/Screening

  • Prevention of Acute Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease(American Heart Association)
  •  Risks for Heart Valve Problems(American Heart Association)
  • Return to top

• Rehabilitation/Recovery

  •  Heart Valve Surgery Recovery and Follow Up(American Heart Association)
  • What to Expect After Heart Surgery(Society of Thoracic Surgeons) - PDF
  • Return to top

• Disease Management

  • Living with Heart Valve Disease(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
  •  Recognizing the Symptoms of Worsening Heart Valve Disease(American Heart Association)
  • Return to top

• Specific Conditions

  • Aortic Calcification: An Early Sign of Heart Valve Problems?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Aortic Valve Regurgitation(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Aortic Valve Stenosis(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Diseases of the Tricuspid Valve(Texas Heart Institute)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Ebstein's Anomaly(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Heart Murmur(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
  • JAMA Patient Page: Heart Valve Infections(American Medical Association) - PDF
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Mitral Regurgitation (Beyond the Basics)(UpToDate)
  • Mitral Valve Stenosis(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Problem: Heart Valve Regurgitation(American Heart Association)
  • Problem: Heart Valve Stenosis(American Heart Association)
  • Pulmonary Valve Stenosis(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Rheumatic Fever(Texas Heart Institute)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Return to top

• Related Issues

  •  What Causes Heart Murmurs?(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
  • What Causes Heart Valve Disease?(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
  • Return to top

• Tutorials

  • Echocardiogram(Patient Education Institute)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Heart Valve Replacement(Patient Education Institute)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Return to top

• Videos

  • Aortic Valve Bypass Surgery(OR-Live) - University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, 9/09/2013
  • If I Had - Tricuspid Regurgitation(Insidermedicine)
  • Minimally Invasive Aortic Valve Replacement(OR-Live) - FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital, Pinehurst, NC, 4/02/2009
  • Pediatric Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve (TPV) Implantation(OR-Live) - Children's Hospital Boston, Boston MA, 10/04/2007
  • Percutaneous Placement of a Pulmonary Valve(OR-Live) - Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC, 12/16/13
  • Repair of a Complex Congenital Cardiac Defect(OR-Live) - Children's Hospital Boston, Boston, MA, 10/05/2007
  • TAVR (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement) Surgery(OR-Live) - Broward Health Medical Center, Fort Lauderdale, FL, 4/09/2014
  • Transesophageal Echocardiogram (TEE)(OR-Live) - Shawnee Mission Medical Center, Merriam, KS, 2/17/2009
  • Return to top

• Anatomy/Physiology

  • How the Heart Works(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
  • Return to top

• Clinical Trials

  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Aortic Valve Stenosis(National Institutes of Health)
  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Heart Murmurs(National Institutes of Health)
  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Heart Valve Diseases(National Institutes of Health)
  • Return to top

• Genetics

  • Genetics Home Reference: Geleophysic dysplasia(National Library of Medicine)
  • Return to top

• Journal Articles

  References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
  • Article: Aortic-valve stenosis--from patients at risk to severe valve obstruction.
  • Article: Back on your feet: tips for recovering from cardiac surgery....
  • Article: Evidence of tricuspid valve remodeling in patients with severe mitral...
  • Heart Valve Diseases -- see more articles
  • Heart valve replacement -- see more articles
  • Return to top

• Dictionaries/Glossaries

  • Heart and Stroke Encyclopedia(American Heart Association)
  • Heart Surgery Terms(Society of Thoracic Surgeons)
  • Return to top

• Directories

  • Locate a Society of Thoracic Surgeons Member(Society of Thoracic Surgeons)
  • Return to top

• Organizations

  • American Heart Association
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
  • Return to top

• Children

  • Heart Murmurs(Nemours Foundation)
  • Heart Murmurs and Your Child(Nemours Foundation)
  • Also available in Spanish
  • How the Body Works: The Heart(Nemours Foundation)
  • Return to top

• Patient Handouts

  • Absent pulmonary valve
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Aortic insufficiency
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Aortic stenosis
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Aortic valve surgery - minimally invasive
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Aortic valve surgery - open
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Bicuspid aortic valve
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Cardiac catheterization
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Cardiac catheterization - discharge
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Chest x-ray
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Ebstein's anomaly
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Echocardiogram
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Electrocardiogram
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Exercise stress test
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Heart MRI
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Heart murmurs and other sounds
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Heart valve surgery
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Heart valve surgery - discharge
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Left heart catheterization
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Left heart ventricular angiography
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Mitral stenosis
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Mitral valve regurgitation
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Mitral valve surgery - minimally invasive
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Mitral valve surgery - open
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Nuclear ventriculography
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Pulmonary valve stenosis
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Right heart ventriculography
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Stress echocardiography
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Tricuspid regurgitation
  • Also available in Spanish
  • Return to top