Valvular stenosis is a valvular heart disease condition in which the tissues that compose the valve leaflets stiffen, narrowing the valve opening and limiting the quantity of blood that can flow through it. If the constriction is little, the heart's general function may be unaffected. But as the severity increases, it can lead to left ventricular hypertrophy (increased mass of muscle tissue in the heart), congestive heart failure, and eventually death. The two main types of valvular stenosis are hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) and atherosclerotic stenosis. HOCM is characterized by increased thickness of all or part of one or more of the four walls of the heart. This increase in wall thickness causes the left ventricle to become larger, making it harder for it to contract and thus reducing its efficiency. The heart tries to compensate for this reduced efficiency by becoming larger, which leads to additional pressure on other parts of the heart (such as the lungs) to work harder. This cycle can cause other problems, such as heart failure. Atherosclerotic stenosis occurs when fatty deposits build up inside the walls of your arteries, restricting the flow of blood through them. As you age, these deposits will more likely to occur at sites where blood flows into the heart from large vessels such as the aorta and major coronary arteries.