The study found that heart valve disease is also more likely to occur in men and individuals who smoke.
Heart valves perform the vital job of maintaining the heart's blood flow in the correct direction.
Elevated cholesterol levels lead to atherosclerosis, the collection of fatty deposits that block blood flow, triggering a heart attack or stroke. But researchers found that elevated cholesterol was also a risk factor for developing aortic valve narrowings. Severe cases are treated surgically by valve replacement. In some cases, there is no clear consensus about treatment, in part because factors affecting the progression of the disease have not been clearly defined. Researchers conducted the study to look for factors that might predict which individuals are most likely to develop valve problems.