What causes mitral valve regurgitation?
The underlying cause of your heart valve’s problem closing is related to a weakened or damaged valve. This damage to the valve can be caused by a myocardial infarction (heart attack), by infective endocarditis, or other conditions that affect the heart valves. Damage to the mitral valve can cause it to protrude (or “prolapse”) into the atrium, which creates the opening for blood to flow back into the left atrium. About 5% of individuals have mitral valve prolapse. Rheumatic heart disease can damage the mitral valve leaflets, and accounts for about one-third of all mitral regurgitation. Chronic mitral regurgitation may be inherited or caused by disorders such as atherosclerosis, hypertension (high blood pressure), left ventricle enlargement, connective tissue disorders such as Marfan’s syndrome, other congenital defects, endocarditis, cardiac tumors, untreated syphilis, and others. Acute mitral regurgitation may become chronic. Mitral regurgitation (both acute and chronic mitral regurgi
