Aortic regurgitation, also known as aortic valve regurgitation or aortic insufficiency, is a heart condition that occurs when the aortic valve doesn’t close properly, allowing blood to leak back into the heart.

Signs & Symptoms

Aortic regurgitation often has no symptoms for many years. Symptoms may come on slowly or suddenly and can include:

• Bounding pulse
• Chest pain
• Fainting
• Fatigue
• Palpitations
• Shortness of breath with activity or when lying down
• Waking up short of breath after falling asleep
• Swelling of the feet, legs, or abdomen
• Uneven, rapid, racing, pounding, or fluttering pulse
• Weakness that is more likely to occur with activity

Diagnosis

Your healthcare provider will perform a comprehensive physical and heart history. They may ask whether you have used any of these medications that have been linked to heart valve disease. Further testing may also be ordered. This can include:

• Aortic angiography
• Echocardiogram — ultrasound examination of the heart
• Cardiac catheterization
• Cardiac MRI or CT scan
• Transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) or transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE)
• Chest x-ray may show swelling of the left lower chamber of the heart