Valvular Heart Disease

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What is Valvular Heart Disease?

Valvular heart disease is a condition that occurs when any of the heart's four valves (mitral, aortic, tricuspid, and pulmonic) fail to work properly. It is the heart valves' job to keep blood flowing in a steady rhythm through the heart. The valves act as gates that open and close at precisely orchestrated times to maintain the proper blood flow. If a gate fails to open or close at the right time, the heart's ability to pump blood efficiently is compromised. Most types of valvular heart disease involve the aortic or mitral valve.

What Causes Valvular Heart Disease?

Valvular heart disease may be congenital or acquired.

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A congenital condition is one that a baby is born with. One common example is mitral valve prolapse. In this condition, the mitral valve doesn't close properly, allowing a small amount of blood to leak back into the left atrium. Mitral valve prolapse is rarely serious and does not generally require treatment of any kind.

An acquired condition is one that is developed later in life. The most common cause of acquired valvular heart disease is rheumatic fever. Rheumatic fever results from an untreated strep infection and causes damage to the connective tissues of the body including the joints, skin, and heart valves. Although it was once a fairly common condition among children, the incidence of rheumatic fever has plummeted with the development of antibiotics such as penicillin. Valvular heart disease as a result of rheumatic fever is rarely seen anymore in developed countries.

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Common Kinds of Valvular Heart Disease

One often seen kind of valvular heart disease is valvular stenosis. This occurs when there is a blockage or narrowing in one or more of the heart valves. When rheumatic fever was more common, doctors often found severe aortic stenosis in their rheumatic fever patients. This condition was especially problematic in pregnant women, as their hearts often could not withstand the strain of labor and delivery. Doctors following women with aortic stenosis usually recommended that they have the aortic valve surgically repaired prior to becoming pregnant.

Valvular regurgitation occurs when blood leaks in the wrong direction because a valve fails to close properly. Some cases of valvular regurgitation are mild enough to require no special treatment; others may require medications or surgery.

Atresia is an often serious condition that occurs in infants when a valve has failed to develop properly and is closed at birth. Atresia often requires surgical intervention.

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