Aortic regurgitation

In most cases, aortic regurgitation is a condition that develops gradually with age, with your heart still able to compensate for any problems that occur. However if the condition worsens, symptoms to be aware of that you may experience include:

• Fatigue and general weakness when undertaking higher activity levels than normal
• Breathlessness / shortness of breath when exercising or lying down
• Chest pain or tightness that may increase when exercising
• Heart murmur
• Irregular pulse
• Feeling lightheaded or fainting
• Rapid or irregular heartbeat

If you have been displaying any of the symptoms of aortic regurgitation, your consultant can diagnose the condition by using a stethoscope to listen to your heart. This is because a heart murmur is generated whenever the blood flows back into your heart. 

If this is the case, your consultant will likely choose to continue to monitor your condition to check it doesn’t worsen. Additional tests that can be carried out to confirm the diagnosis include: 

• Cardiac catheterisation 
• Cardiac MRI
• Chest X-ray
• Echocardiogram
• Electrocardiogram (ECG)
• Exercise tests or stress tests

Treatment for aortic regurgitation very much depends on the severity of your symptoms. If your symptoms are mild, your cardiologist may simply recommend healthy lifestyle changes and certain medications to minimise any further risk.

If your symptoms have become severe, it is likely you may need surgery such as an aortic valve repair or TAVI (transcatheter aortic valve replacement) to correct your leaky valve.