Aortic regurgitation is the term for an aortic valve that leaks each time the left ventricle relaxes. A leaking aortic valve allows blood to flow in two directions.
Some blood flows the right way and oxygen-rich blood flows out through the aorta to the body as it should.
And some blood flows backwards from the aorta back into the left ventricle when the heart relaxes between beats.
What happens during aortic regurgitation?
The volume and pressure in the heart's pumping chamber may increase. As a result, the heart may have to do more work to compensate. The ventricle stretches/enlarges and the walls of the ventricle will sometimes thicken (hypertrophy), and a thickened heart muscle is less effective. Eventually, the heart may be unable to meet the body's need for blood, leading to heart failure. Aortic regurgitation can also cause the aorta to bulge or have weak spots susceptible to aortic aneurysm.