Guide To The Risk Factors And Causes Of Aortic Stenosis

High Cholesterol And Blood Pressure

Conditions that take a toll on an individual's blood vessels and heart such as high cholesterol and blood pressure can increase their risk of developing aortic valve stenosis. The mechanism behind the increase in the risk for aortic valve stenosis in individuals who have high cholesterol and blood pressure involves the mechanical stress these conditions place on the valve and the inflammation in the body that can affect the valve. The aortic valve in a healthy individual is built to be able to manage a certain degree of ongoing mechanical stress due to the high pressure of the blood that flows through it. Chronic high blood pressure patients have an even greater level of pressure in the blood being pushed directly out of the heart past the valve due to their compromised circulation from blood vessel damage. The aortic valve sustains tissue damage over time from being overburdened. The body can repair this damage eventually, but it is repaired with scar tissue that is thicker and denser than the original tissue. This mechanism makes the valve leaflets become too stiff and inflexible. High cholesterol is directly correlated with hypertension, as it can cause it and or complicate it. Atherosclerosis from high cholesterol causes the same excessive mechanical stress on the valve, which yields the same inability of the valve to open fully.