Aortic stenosis sounds serious — and it is.

The condition occurs when the opening of the aortic valve in your heart has narrowed, and the valve is no longer able to function normally. The valve sits between your heart's main pumping chamber (the left ventricle) and the primary coronary artery called the aorta; its job is to make sure oxygen-rich blood flows smoothly to your body.

When the valve narrows or can't move as it should, that can lead to heart failure, irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath, and/or fatigue.

But sometimes a faulty valve doesn't cause any symptoms. As many as 37% to 46% of people with severe aortic stenosis are asymptomatic.

That's had doctors wondering if it would be smart to intervene early and perform valve replacement surgery when a person has no symptoms, and the condition is still not severe. Studies have found that waiting can increase the risk of sudden cardiac death and congestive heart failure.

Now, a study in American Journal of Cardiology suggests replacing an asymptomatic aortic valve using a minimally invasive procedure called transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is not only a good idea, it's better than using the standard surgical approach.

It turns out that TAVR cuts the post-operative risk of disabling stroke or death from 4.8% to 1.3%, and people who undergo the procedure have better quality of life.

If you’ve been diagnosed with asymptomatic aortic stenosis (another good reason to have regular checkups), talk to your cardiologist about whether TAVR makes sense for you sooner rather than later.