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Aortic stenosis
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Causes of Aortic Stenosis

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There are three main factors that cause the aortic valve to narrow. The most common is wear of the valve due to age and cardiovascular risk factors. This leads to the accumulation of calcium on the valve leaflets, which causes them to harden and restricts their mobility. 

Another cause is a condition in which the aortic valve does not have the standard three leaflets but rather two (bicuspid aortic valve), making it more vulnerable to calcification. Although this is a birth defect, people with a bicuspid aortic valve usually have no symptoms until they are 50-60 years old.

In Spain, the least common cause is rheumatic fever, caused by repeated infections of the tonsils (angina). The bacteria responsible for this infection destroys the valve and causes it to narrow. Given the increased use of antibiotics, this cause is now extremely rare in Spain.

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Substantiated information by:

Bárbara Vidal Hagemeijer
Marta Sitges Carreño

Published: 4 October 2021
Updated: 13 October 2021

The donations that can be done through this webpage are exclusively for the benefit of Hospital Clínic of Barcelona through Fundació Clínic per a la Recerca Biomèdica and not for BBVA Foundation, entity that collaborates with the project of PortalClínic.

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