Speaking of Your Health 2/15/2021

February 15, 2021

Mitral Valve Disease

Feeling short of breath when working hard and even when lying down? You might be experiencing mitral regurgitation.

Mitral regurgitation, a leaky mitral valve, is also known as mitral valve regurgitation or mitral insufficiency.

The mitral valve separates the top and bottom of the left side of the heart, which is the heart’s main pumping chamber. The mitral valve is a one-way passage to keep blood flowing out of the heart to the rest of the body. It has flaps that should close behind the movement of blood. Sometimes the valves do not seal or close tightly which allows the blood to flow backward.

From the back flow of blood with mitral regurgitation the heart is handling more blood than it should. To manage this increased volume the heart will grow larger. With the enlargement, the heart becomes weaker over time.

Age is the most obvious risk factor for mitral regurgitation. The elderly are at the highest risk due to the natural deterioration of the valve. Also, a heart attack can damage the heart affecting the function of the mitral valve. Cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure and cholesterol are important as they can lead to coronary artery disease and heart failure, which is associated with heart enlargement and can lead to mitral regurgitation. Read More.