Aortic stenosis is a disorder of a heart valve where the opening of the aortic semilunar valve becomes narrow. What effect might aortic stenosis have on heart structure and function?
- AThe cardiac muscle of the left ventricle wall is thinned by blood leaking out of the left ventricle during ventricular diastole.
- BThere is less cardiac muscle in the left ventricle and reduced diastolic blood pressure, caused by the smaller blood volume entering the left atrium.
- CThe tendons of the heart valves are weakened by blood being forced back through the left atrioventricular valve into the left atrium.
- DThe wall of the left ventricle thickens, leading to an enlarged heart and inability to relax and fill completely during diastole.