Understanding Acquired Valve Disease

by Richard J. Manager

Heart valve disease is a group of disorders characterized by abnormalities in the structure and functioning of the valvular apparatus of the heart that cause changes in intracardiac circulation. Acquired valve disease, unlike congenital valve disorders, develops during the life of the patient as a result of acute or chronic diseases or traumatic injuries of the heart. The heart consists of four chambers – the left atrium and left ventricle between which there is the mitral valve, the right atrium and right ventricle between which there is the tricuspid valve. The pulmonary and aortic valves are located between the pulmonary artery and the right ventricle and the aorta and the left ventricle respectively.

The types of valve disease include:

Valvular insufficiency. It’s also sometimes called “leaky valve”, it happens when a valve doesn’t close properly. When the valves don’t close tightly, some blood can leak backwards. As the leak gets worse, the heart has to work harder to compensate for the leakage, and less blood gets to the rest of the body.
Valvular stenosis. It’s when a valve doesn’t fully open because of fused or stiff leaflets. Such opening can make the heart work strenuously to pump blood through it which can result in heart failure, etc.

Causes

The common causes of this condition include:

Infections such as infective endocarditis
Autoimmune disorders like lupus
Certain connective tissue disorders like Marfan syndrome
Metabolic disorders like high blood cholesterol
Rheumatic fever caused by strep bacteria

Heart disorders like atherosclerosis of the aorta, advanced hypertension, heart attack that results in the formation of the scar tissue, etc.

Symptoms

Symptoms of this condition depend on the affected valve or the combination of the affected valves. Patients with this type of heart disease can experience any of the following symptoms:

Breathlessness, dry cough
Extreme fatigue
Change in the color of the skin
Heart palpitations
Exercise-associated pain in the chest
Irregular heartbeat
Headaches, dizziness, fainting
Swelling

These signs can also be observed in other disorders of the heart; therefore, in the presence of any of them a visit to a doctor is required to find what causes these symptoms.

Diagnosis and treatment

Diagnostic methods include:

electrocardiography
echocardiography
chest X-ray, etc.

Acquired valve disease treatment depends on the severity and type of the condition. There are three main goals – protection of the valve from further damage, symptoms relief, and repair or replacement of the affected valve.