This thickened wall takes up more space inside the lower heart chamber that allows less room for an adequate amount of blood to be supplied to the body. This may lead to heart failure – a long-term condition that cannot be cured.
In order to avoid this, treatment is used to help reverse or slow down the progress of the disease.
Similar to Schwarzenegger’s case, aortic valve replacement is the most commonly used surgery. During this procedure, the surgeon removes the damaged valve and replaces it with a mechanical valve or a valve made from cow, pig or human heart tissue (biological tissue valve).
However, biological tissue valves break down over time and may eventually need to be replaced and people with mechanical valves will need to take blood thinners for the rest of their lives to prevent blood clots.
