A person with valvular heart disease has a malfunction in one of the four heart valves. Heart valves can fail when they become narrowed, which is called stenosis. They may also fail when they leak, which is called regurgitation or insufficiency.

Valvular heart disease may be:

• Congenital valvular heart disease:
• You are born with an abnormal heart valve
• Acquired valvular heart disease:
• You develop a valve abnormality