Fen-Phen e-Resource

Heart valves help blood flow in only one direction as it moves between different chambers of the heart and into and out of the heart. Aortic valve regurgitation occurs when the flaps of the aortic heart valve do not form a tight seal, which allows blood to leak backwards through the valve when the heart muscle relaxes. Aortic valve regurgitation may reduce blood flow to organs throughout the body, including the heart muscle itself. As a result of the reduced blood flow, the heart may need to pump harder, which over years, may enlarge the lower left heart chamber.

During the early stages of aortic valve regurgitation, a person may not experience any symptoms, but the reduced blood flow eventually can cause chest pain, palpitations or irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias), a serious infection in the heart (endocarditis), heart failure, and in rare cases, sudden death. Sometimes a person may only notice symptoms once heart failure develops. There are certain instances when aortic valve regurgitation can occur suddenly, and will include severe symptoms such as shortness of breath and extreme tiredness. In this case, a person should seek immediate medical attention.

Medications to lower blood pressure are usually used to treat aortic valve regurgitation. If the valve leakage is severe and the heart is unable to keep up with the increase in pumping, surgery may be needed to replace the aortic valve.

Like aortic valve regurgitation, mitral regurgitation (MR) usually develops over many years. In the case of MR, a significant amount of blood flows back into the left atrium through the leaky mitral valve. In an attempt to circulate this extra blood, the left ventricle pumps harder and may enlarge over time. After many years of increase pumping, the left ventricle may become weaker and symptoms of heart failure can develop.

MR is a common disorder, but the disorder can range from mild to severe cases. Some people will never develop symptoms and the condition may not get worse, but MR can also develop suddenly. A person may experience symptoms such as severe shortness of breath (dyspnea), fluid in the lungs and chest pain. People who develop sudden MR almost always need urgent surgery to repair or replace their mitral valve.

A number of causes can lead to both aortic valve regurgitation and mitral regurgitation. Some causes include conditions such as aortic valve stenosis and endocarditis; infections such as rheumatic fever and syphilis; injury, such as trauma to the heart valve or aorta; inherited and autoimmune diseases; and heart abnormalities present from birth. Also, the previous use of certain weight-loss medications, such as phentermine and fenfluramine/dexfenfluramine, appear to increase the risk of heart valve disease.