Are people born with faulty heart valves, or can anyone have valve problem?

Heart valve problems can affect anyone from birth through old age. You may be born with a faulty heart valve - a condition referred to as a congenital heart valve defect, or, you can acquire a heart valve problem later in life.

People who are born with a heart valve problem often have conditions that affect the pulmonary or aortic valves. In many cases, the tissue flaps, or leaflets, that permit or prohibit blood flow through heart halves may not have formed properly: There may not be enough of them or they may not be the right shape. In others, valves may not have formed with an opening through which blood can flow (a condition called atresia).

For those who acquire heart valve disease, the aortic and mitral valves are most frequently affected. These valves can suffer from leaking, called regurgitation, or narrowing, called stenosis. Both regurgitation and stenosis can cause your heart to work harder, affecting both heart health and overall health.