Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Aortic Stenosis, Christina Lower

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Aortic Stenosis is the progressive and permanent narrowing of the aortic valve that is located between the left ventricle and the aorta. The pathophysiology is endothelial damage to the valve resulting in lipid penetration, calcific changesand valve stiffness.Major risk factors for aortic stenosis are natural aging>60 years(atherosclerotic changes in vasculature) and male gender.In the early phases of aortic stenosis, the body compensatesvia hypertrophy of the left ventricle to accommodateforthe increased pressure gradient. Progression is typically over years to decades untildecreased outflow of blood leads toinadequate perfusion to major organsystems including the heart itself. Patientsdo not typically have symptoms until …