Which statement best describes aortic valve diseases?

Which statement best describes aortic valve diseases?

• A. Aortic valve regurgitation involves narrowing of the valve
• B. Aortic valve regurgitation is caused by complete closure
• C. Aortic valve stenosis is the narrowing of the aortic valve that increases left ventricular workload
• D. Both regurgitation and stenosis reduce left ventricular workload

Answer: (C)

Aortic valve diseases are about how well the valve opens or closes. When the valve narrows, as in stenosis, it makes it harder for the left ventricle to push blood into the aorta. That extra resistance increases the left ventricular afterload, so the heart has to work harder, often leading to changes like hypertrophy over time. Regurgitation, on the other hand, is a leak when the valve doesn’t close properly, allowing blood to flow back into the ventricle during diastole, which increases the volume the ventricle has to handle and also raises the heart’s workload, but for a different reason. The statement that best describes aortic valve disease is the one that identifies stenosis as the narrowing of the valve that increases left ventricular workload. The other descriptions mix up regurgitation with narrowing, misstate the mechanism (such as complete closure causing regurgitation), or claim that both conditions reduce workload, which isn’t true.

Aortic valve diseases are about how well the valve opens or closes. When the valve narrows, as in stenosis, it makes it harder for the left ventricle to push blood into the aorta. That extra resistance increases the left ventricular afterload, so the heart has to work harder, often leading to changes like hypertrophy over time. Regurgitation, on the other hand, is a leak when the valve doesn’t close properly, allowing blood to flow back into the ventricle during diastole, which increases the volume the ventricle has to handle and also raises the heart’s workload, but for a different reason.

The statement that best describes aortic valve disease is the one that identifies stenosis as the narrowing of the valve that increases left ventricular workload. The other descriptions mix up regurgitation with narrowing, misstate the mechanism (such as complete closure causing regurgitation), or claim that both conditions reduce workload, which isn’t true.