High blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and other heart disease risk factors.History of certain forms of heart disease or heart attack.History of certain infections that can affect the heart.Several factors can increase your risk of heart valve disease, including: The valve isn't formed, and a solid sheet of tissue blocks the blood flow between the heart chambers. This results in a narrowed valve opening and reduced blood flow through the valve. The valve flaps become thick or stiff and possibly fuse together. This commonly occurs due to valve flaps bulging back, a condition called prolapse. The valve flaps don't close properly, causing blood to leak backward in your heart. It can also occur in adults due to many causes and conditions, such as infections and other heart conditions. Heart valve disease may be present at birth (congenital). If one or more of the valves fail to open or close properly, the blood flow through your heart to your body is disrupted. Each valve has flaps (leaflets) that open and close once per heartbeat. The four heart valves, which keep blood flowing in the right direction, are the mitral, tricuspid, pulmonary and aortic valves. Normal heart valves and blood flow are shown in the top image.
Heart valve problems may include a narrowed valve (stenosis), a leaking valve (regurgitation) or a valve with leaflets that are bulging back (prolapse), as shown in the bottom two images.