What does it mean to have a leaky heart?

What does it mean to have a leaky heart?

“A ‘leaky’ heart valve refers to a valve that is allowing some proportion of blood flow to go ‘backward’ in the wrong direction (i.e., regurgitant) as the heart is beating,” said Michael Chenier, MD, MPH, a structural interventional cardiologist with Asheville Cardiology Associates. This can happen in any of the four valves in the heart.

What causes a leak in the mitral valve?

“Most often, the leak in the valve is caused by stretching of the left-sided chambers of the heart due to congestive heart failure causes, like a heart attack,” said Dr. Chenier. “Or anatomic problems with the mitral valve itself, such as stretching or tears.” If this extra strain on your heart is left untreated, heart failure can occur.

Which is the most common heart valve disease?

Mitral valve regurgitation is the most common valve disease in the United States. Mild mitral regurgitation affects up to 20 percent of healthy people and has no clinical consequence. Nearly 10 percent of people age 75 or older have moderate to severe mitral regurgitation, which is of clinical concern.

“A ‘leaky’ heart valve refers to a valve that is allowing some proportion of blood flow to go ‘backward’ in the wrong direction (i.e., regurgitant) as the heart is beating,” said Michael Chenier, MD, MPH, a structural interventional cardiologist with Asheville Cardiology Associates. This can happen in any of the four valves in the heart.

Are there any symptoms of a leaky heart valve?

Symptoms of a Leaky Heart Valve. Frequently, a leaky heart valve causes no symptoms. Many healthy people have one or more valves that are slightly leaky. If the heart valve leak is severe, it may impair the forward flow of blood.

What are the treatments for a leaky heart valve?

Treatments include medicines, surgical repair, or surgical replacement of the leaky valve. Observation over time for changes is the most common approach to a leaky heart valve.

Can a leaky heart valve cause pulmonary regurgitation?

Like the tricuspid valve, a small amount of pulmonic regurgitation may be present in healthy people. There are rare cases when a leaky pulmonary valve causes problems. These may be due to: Usually, no treatment is required for pulmonary regurgitation. Treating the underlying medical condition is the best approach.