Aortic Stenosis

[inez]

I am wondering if aortic stenosis is as a result of bad food choices such as too much
fat in the diet.

[magatha]

No No No
In adults, three conditions are known to cause aortic stenosis.

1. Progressive wear and tear of a bicuspid valve present since birth (congenital).

2. Wear and tear of the aortic valve in the elderly.

3. Scarring of the aortic valve due to rheumatic fever as a child or young adult.

Although the media pushes heart disease as bad food choices. Not all heart disease is coronary artery disease ( generally the disease associated with bad food choices). Even coronary artery disease can also have a genetic component. Unfortunately the medical news generally does not have enough time to explain all the nuances of heart disease. Get a good cardiologists and ask questions, some research on the web is ok but everyone is a little different.

[detraider]

I am 64, had a echocardiagram 2 weeks ago, was called into my primary care provider a week later where I was informed I had midly severe to severe AS and he booked me an appointment with a cardiologist for next week. My primary care doctor is new to me. I have access to the VA network, but my wife convinced me to overlap my physicals with a private physician. I think that was a good thing. The VA had completed an echo on me some 15 months ago, and I was diagnosed with "mild" AS, no particular followup recommended. It seems my Aortic valve has closed some 50% in that time period.

Now, neither the VA nor my current doctor provided any explanation of what this diagnosis meant to me so I have ignored it until now, and my research this past week has a been a bit disturbing as I realize I will probably be going into open heart surgery soon (or later??). I'm sure I will know more after the cardiologist visit.

Which brings me to why I posted on this particular issue - the question of what causes AV, and the other very important question for me is what constitutes a "symptom"? My research has made it apparent that the issue of symptoms determines your current risk and what the cardiologist will recommend regarding the urgency (or not) of surgery. I will be ask if I have had chest pains - no; shortness of breath? - tougher to answer, but let me explain.

Up until the middle of 2000, I was very active, playing tennis, racquetball and golf on a regular basis. I popped my achilles tendon during a match, underwent surgery for retying the tendon, had about a year of recovery but never resumed my competitive play in any sport. I lived in the upper Midwest where cool temperatures prevail, but I moved to Texas in 2004, where I discovered I had a heat intolerance along with the inability to "sweat" (anhydrosis) and would become nasueous, weak and overheated after minimal exertion, especially if outside under sun. Could this be a symptom of deterioraion in my aortic valve?

I have also had "gout" most of my adult life, and had a severe attack in the past 18 months requiring me to go on lifelong medication. Could gout actually be a "cause" of the calcification in the aortic valve?

One other medical issue over the past 2 years has been a serious problem with "fungus", both in my toenails and fingernails, which is still not completely resolved, after repeated medication. Could this also affect the AV?

I know it sounds like I'm falling apart, but until this heart thing hit, I thought I was in pretty good health.

I'm rambling, and know I have to discuss this with my cardiologist, but would appreciate any related experience or knowledge on the issue. I'm trying to figure out if I am symptomatic (and at high risk) or if I need to get something done in the next few "years".