Valvular heart disease

What are heart valves? The heart consists of 4 chambers--2 atria (upper chambers) and 2 ventricles (lower chambers). Blood passes through a valve as it leaves each chamber of the heart. The valves prevent the backward flow of blood. They act as one-way inlets of blood on one side of a ventricle and one-way outlets of blood on the other side of a ventricle. The 4 heart valves include the following: • Tricuspid valve. Located between the right atrium and the right ventricle. • Pulmonary valve. Located between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery. • Mitral valve. Located between the left atrium and the left ventricle. • Aortic valve. Located between the left ventricle and the aorta. How do the heart valves function? As the heart muscle contracts and relaxes, the valves open and close, letting blood flow into the ventricles and out to the body at alternate times. The following is a step-by-step explanation of blood flow through the heart. • The left and right atrium contract once they are filled with blood. This pushes open the mitral and tricuspid valves. Blood is then pumped into the ventricles. • The left and right ventricles contact. This closes the mitral and tricuspid valves preventing back blood flow. At the same time, the aortic and pulmonic valves open to let blood be pumped out of the heart. • The left and right ventricles relax. The aortic and pulmonic valves close preventing backward blood flow into the heart. The mitral and tricuspid valves then open to al...

Synonyms: Tricuspid valve, Valva tricuspidalis The Unfortunately, there is a wide range of disorders that can affect the heart valves. Valvular heart disease is associated with high morbidity and mortality across the world. It may be the result of an underlying cardiac disorder (e.g. valvular incompetence secondary to hypertensive heart disease) or it may be the primary site of a pathological series of events (e.g. stenotic valves in rheumatic heart disease). This article aims to review several types of valvular heart disease. The discussions will focus on the pathogenesis and pathophysiology underlying the disorders. Please review the articles on the Key facts about the valvular heart disease Congenital valve disease Present at birth Atresias are most common - Tricuspid atresia - Ebstein anomaly - Aortic  atresia - Pulmonary stenosis Acquired valve disease Insult to the heart valves following another illness May occur at any time after birth Valvular insufficiency Valves do not close properly. Also called incompetent, regurgitant, or prolapsed valvular heart disease. Valvular stenosis Valves do not open properly. An important part of understanding valvular heart disease is grasping the concept of murmurs. All valves have their [Heart valves (diagram)] atrioventricular valves and there is one on each side of the heart. On the left-hand side there is the mitral valve and on the right-hand side, there is the tricuspid valve. The other subtype of heart valves prevents bloo...

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript. • Review Article • 25 June 2021 Global epidemiology of valvular heart disease • ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-2312-4666 • • ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-2112-3918 • • • ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-0910-5450 • • … • ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-6031-2124 Show authors Nature Reviews Cardiology volume 18, pages 853–864 ( 2021) Valvular heart disease (VHD) is a major contributor to loss of physical function, quality of life and longevity. The epidemiology of VHD varies substantially around the world, with a predominance of functional and degenerative disease in high-income countries, and a predominance of rheumatic heart disease in low-income and middle-income countries. Reflecting this distribution, rheumatic heart disease remains by far the most common manifestation of VHD worldwide and affects approximately 41 million people. By contrast, the prevalence of calcific aortic stenosis and degenerative mitral valve disease is 9 and 24 million people, respectively. Despite a reduction in global mortality related to rheumatic heart disease since 1900, the death rate has remained fairly static since 2000. Meanwhile, deaths from calcific aortic stenosis have cont...

Tests Your health care provider may order several tests to confirm or rule out aortic valve stenosis. Tests also can help determine a cause and the condition's severity. Tests for aortic valve stenosis may include: • Echocardiogram. An echocardiogram uses sound waves to create pictures of the beating heart. It shows how blood flows through the heart and heart valves. It can help identify a weakened heart muscle and determine the severity of aortic valve stenosis. Sometimes, a special type of echocardiogram called transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) may be done to get a closer look at the aortic valve. In this test, a flexible tube containing the ultrasound probe is guided down the throat and into the esophagus and placed closed to the heart. • Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG). This painless test measures the electrical activity of the heart. During an ECG, sensors (electrodes) are attached to the chest and sometimes to the arms or legs. An ECG can show how fast or slow the heart is beating. Your health care provider can look for signal patterns related to heart disease or swelling of the heart's chambers. • Chest X-ray. A chest X-ray shows the condition of the heart and lungs. It can help determine whether the heart is enlarged, which can occur in aortic valve stenosis. It can also show swelling of the aorta and calcium buildup on the aortic valve. • Exercise tests or stress tests. These tests often involve walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike while the heart ...

Overview Inflammation from bacteria in the heart causes endocarditis. What is endocarditis? Infective endocarditis (IE) is a potentially fatal inflammation of your heart valves’ lining and sometimes heart chambers’ lining. This occurs when germs (usually bacteria) from elsewhere in your body enter your bloodstream and attach to and attack the lining of your heart valves and/or chambers. Infective endocarditis is also called bacterial endocarditis (BE) or acute, subacute (SBE) or chronic bacterial endocarditis. How does this condition affect my body? Infective endocarditis causes growths (vegetations) on the valves, produces toxins and enzymes that kill and break down the tissue to cause holes in the valve, and spreads outside your heart and blood vessels. The resulting complications are: • Embolism of material from the vegetation can get in the way of blood flow. • Leaky valve. • • • Abscesses around the valve. • • Without treatment, endocarditis is a fatal disease. Who does endocarditis affect? Endocarditis happens to twice as many people assigned male at birth than people assigned female at birth. Also, people older than 60 make up more than 25% of cases. People most at risk of developing bacterial endocarditis include those who have: • Acquired valve disease (for example, • An artificial (prosthetic) heart valve, including bioprosthetic and homograft valves. • Previous bacterial endocarditis. • Certain congenital (present at birth) heart issues. • A device, such as a • ...

Mitral valve disease is when the heart’s mitral valve stops functioning correctly. This can lead to blood not flowing around the body correctly and cause several health complications. The This article discusses the different types of mitral valve disease, symptoms, causes, and treatment options that may be available. Share on Pinterest PM Images/Getty Images Mitral valve disease occurs when the mitral valve in the heart suffers from damage or disease and stops functioning correctly. This means the heart has to work harder, and a person may feel tired or breathless. There are several different types of mitral valve disease, including According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2017, mitral valve disease accounted for What heart valves do The valves in the heart are small flaps of skin, known as leaflets, that open and close every time the heart beats. The valves help control the flow of blood around the heart and stop blood from going in the wrong direction. The mitral valve is on the left side of the heart and helps the blood flow from the left atrium to the left ventricle. Mitral valve stenosis and mitral valve regurgitation are the two main types of mitral valve disease that can be serious if a person does not seek the appropriate treatment. Mitral valve stenosis Mitral valve stenosis (MS) occurs when the mitral valve narrows, stiffens, and cannot open wide enough to allow blood to flow through sufficiently. This restricts the flow of blood thro...

Aortic valve stenosis Aortic valve stenosis causes a thickening and narrowing of the valve between the heart's main pumping chamber (left ventricle) and the body's main artery (aorta). The narrowing creates a smaller opening for blood to pass through. Blood flow from the heart to the rest of the body is reduced or blocked. Typically, the aortic valve has three cusps (tricuspid aortic valve), but some people are born with an aortic valve that has two cusps (bicuspid aortic valve). Aortic valve regurgitation In aortic valve regurgitation, the aortic valve doesn't close properly, causing blood to flow backward from the body's main artery (aorta) into the lower left heart chamber (left ventricle). Aortic valve disease is a type of heart valve disease. In aortic valve disease, the valve between the lower left heart chamber (left ventricle) and the main artery to the body (aorta) doesn't work properly. The aortic valve helps keep blood flowing in the correct direction through the heart. A damaged or diseased aortic valve can affect blood flow to the rest of the heart and body. Aortic valve disease includes: • Aortic valve stenosis. The flaps (cusps) of the aortic valve become thick and stiff, or they fuse together. These problems cause the valve opening to become narrow. The narrowed valve reduces or blocks blood flow from the heart to the rest of the body. • Aortic valve regurgitation. The aortic valve doesn't close properly, causing blood to flow backward into the left lower h...