The leaflets of a healthy aortic heart valve open wide to allow oxygenated blood to flow unobstructed through the valve into the aorta, where it flows out to the rest of the body. The leaflets of a stenotic or calcified aortic heart valve are unable to open wide, obstructing blood flow from the left ventricle into the aorta. The narrowed valve allows less oxygenated blood to flow through, and as a result, less oxygen-rich blood is pumped out to the body, which may cause symptoms like severe shortness of breath.
The leaflets of a healthy aortic heart valve open wide to allow
oxygenated blood to flow unobstructed through the valve into the
aorta, where it flows out to the rest of the body. The leaflets of
a stenotic or calcified aortic heart valve...
More
Penn Medicine answered:The leaflets of a healthy aortic heart valve open wide to allow oxygenated blood to flow unobstructed through the valve into the aorta, where it flows out to the rest of the body. The leaflets of a stenotic or calcified aortic heart valve are unable to open wide, obstructing blood flow from the left ventricle into the aorta. The narrowed valve allows less oxygenated blood to flow through, and as a result, less oxygen-rich blood is pumped out to the body, which may cause symptoms like severe shortness of breath.The leaflets of a healthy aortic heart valve open wide to allow oxygenated blood to flow unobstructed through the valve into the aorta, where it flows out to the rest of the body. The leaflets of a stenotic or calcified aortic heart valve... More
