By: Edwards Lifesciences  

You’re probably familiar with heart disease, but most people have never even heard of heart valve disease (HVD). It’s a condition where one or more of your four heart valves doesn’t work properly, making it more difficult for blood to flow through your body.  

Although it’s more common in people over 65, HVD can happen at any age. There are many types of HVD; aortic stenosis is one of the most common forms. Aortic stenosis (AS) is a progressive disease, meaning it can get worse if not treated. Older age is a major risk factor. As many as 1.6 million Americans over age 65 have severe symptomatic AS, and without valve replacement, as few as half survive beyond two years after symptoms start.[1] 

Symptoms of aortic stenosis can be subtle, and may include: 

• Chest pain 
• Rapid, fluttering heartbeat 
• Trouble breathing or feeling short of breath 
• Feeling dizzy or light-headed, even fainting 
• Difficult walking short distances 
• Swollen ankles or feet 
• Difficulty sleeping or needing to sleep sitting up

Talk with your doctor if you have any of the above symptoms. Aortic stenosis can be treated. This makes education and awareness even more important.  

To help patients suffering from aortic stenosis get a timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment, the American Heart Association (AHA) launched a program called Target: Aortic Stenosis. The patient resources developed as part of this project, and included in the link below, can help you take control of your health. Edwards Lifesciences is the national sponsor of AHA’s Target: Aortic Stenosis.  

Listed below are resources for patients and caregivers about aortic stenosis. 

Resources: 

• Aortic Stenosis Symptom Tracker 
• Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day  
• Alliance for Aging Research 
• Heart Valve Voice US 

• Aortic Stenosis: A Caregiver’s Guide from a Patient’s Perspective 
• Quality of care initiative seeks to improve outcomes for heart valve patients | American Heart Association  
• Additional American Heart Association (AHA) Resources for patients (includes Spanish resources) 

[1] Owens DS, Bartz TM, Buzkova P, et al. Cumulative burden of clinically significant aortic stenosis in community-dwelling older adults. Heart. 2021;107:1493-1502 

Edwards Lifesciences is a member of the National Health Council. For more information on NHC membership, please email [email protected].