• Most common valve disorder
• Common with older age

Causes:

• degenerative calcification (most common cause in older patients > 65 years)
• bicuspid aortic valve (most common cause in younger patients < 65 years)
• William's syndrome (supravalvular aortic stenosis)
• post-rheumatic disease
• subvalvular: HOCM

PC: SAD

• Syncope - exertional syncope (light headedness and fainting when exercising) due to difficulty maintaining good flow of blood to the brain
• Angina
• Dyspnoea

On examination:

• Ejection systolic murmur
  • Sound - Space for blood to be ejected is narrowed so instead of lub dub, we have a lub woosh high pitched sound (think reducing the space of a hose pipe).
  • This sound will radiate to the carotids so can be heard there as well and will be heard best on expiration.

Severe aortic stenosis features

• Slow rising pulse and narrow pulse pressure