Download Print This Information

Heart Valve Disease
Table of Contents
• Topic Overview
• Related Information
• Credits
Topic Overview
What is heart valve disease?
Heart valve disease is the term used for a number of conditions that affect the four valves
of the heart.
A heart valve disease happens when any of the heart's valves either cannot open well
enough to let blood flow through (stenosis) or cannot close well enough to prevent
backflow of the blood (regurgitation). Heart valve disease can affect any of the four
valves in different ways, including a combination of stenosis and regurgitation.
These diseases include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Aortic regurgitation.
Aortic stenosis.
Mitral regurgitation.
Mitral stenosis.
Tricuspid stenosis.
Tricuspid regurgitation.
Pulmonic stenosis.
Pulmonic regurgitation.
What happens if you have a heart valve disease?
A heart valve disease affects how well blood flows through your heart.
Your heart is divided into two separate pumping systems—right and left:
• The right side of your heart receives oxygen-poor blood from your veins and pumps
it to your lungs to take up fresh oxygen.
• The left side of your heart receives oxygen-rich blood from your lungs and pumps it
through your arteries to your body.
Your heart has four separate chambers that pump blood—two on the right side and two
on the left side:
• Right atrium
• Right ventricle
• Left atrium
• Left ventricle
Blood travels through your heart and lungs in four steps. In each step, it must pass
through a valve.
• Step 1: The right atrium receives oxygen-poor blood from the body and pumps it
through the tricuspid valve to the right ventricle.
• Step 2: The right ventricle pumps the oxygen-poor blood through the pulmonary
valve to the lungs.
• Step 3: The left atrium receives oxygen-rich blood from the lungs and pumps it
through the mitral valve to the left ventricle.
• Step 4: The left ventricle pumps the oxygen-rich blood through the aortic valve to
the entire body.
See a picture of the heart and its chambers, valves, and blood flow.
Related Information
•
•
•
•
Aortic Valve Regurgitation
Aortic Valve Stenosis
Mitral Valve Regurgitation
Mitral Valve Stenosis
Credits
By Healthwise Staff
Primary Medical Reviewer Rakesh K. Pai, MD, FACC - Cardiology, Electrophysiology
Martin J. Gabica, MD - Family Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer John A. McPherson, MD, FACC, FSCAI - Cardiology
Current as of January 27, 2016
Note: The "printer friendly" document will not contain all the information available in the online document.
Some information (e.g. cross-references to other topics, definitions or medical illustrations) is only available
in the online version.
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise,
Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information.
© 1995-2017 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health
decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.