Arnold Schwarzenegger's 'serious' valve disease that he was born with - explained
msn.comaortic stenosis meaning problems with his vital organ have been present since birth. Described as a "valve disease" The American Heart Association explains that aortic stenosis is one of the "most common and serious" causing the aortic valve opening to narrow.
Due to this, Schwarzenegger underwent his first ever heart surgery back in 1997, which failed almost 20 years later leading to his subsequent surgery in 2018, and then a third in 2020.
Although aortic stenosis typically develops due to ageing and the build-up of calcium or scarring damages in the valve, for those born with the condition it can be caused by backward flow of blood, narrowing of the aortic valve or an enlarged aorta.
The Mayo Clinic explains that in a healthy heart the aortic valve has three cusps, but one affected by aortic stenosis only has two cusps.
Read more on msn.com