Prevention

There are steps you can take to strengthen your heart and guard against developing aortic stenosis. These include:

• Make heart-healthy choices: Although not proved, factors that can cause calcium buildup in the arteries of the heart (called atherosclerosis) also can cause calcium buildup on the aortic valve. For general health, it is always a good idea to exercise daily. Also, if you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or kidney problems, you should speak to your doctor to get these conditions treated. If you smoke, you should quit smoking and talk to your doctor about ways to help you stop.
• Keep up with dental checkups: Infection in your gums can sometimes cause an infection of the heart valves and cause aortic stenosis. Bacteria can hide in your gums, and you can make sure your gums are healthy by going to the dentist regularly.
• Treat infections: The bacteria that cause strep throat can sometimes cause rheumatic fever if left untreated. Rheumatic fever often happens in children and young adults and can be easily treated with antibiotics. If rheumatic fever is not treated, it can cause aortic stenosis years later.