Mitral Regurgitation
Mitral regurgitation (MR) is a common valvular anomaly occurring in approximately 10% of the populace.20 The disease can be divided into primary and secondary MR. Primary MR is the predominant form that will occur following myxomatous degeneration – which is the predominant aetiology, accounting for 2.5% of the world’s population. Throughout the developing world, rheumatic heart disease remains widespread.6
Retrograde flow from the left ventricle into the left atrium results in a cyclic increase in left ventricular volume. Ultimately, ventricular remodeling occurs in an attempt to maintain cardiac output. Over time, as the ventricle hypertrophies, the actin-myosin cross-bridges will stretch, eventually derailing from the point of optimal contractility, therefore, resulting in a gradual decrease in ejection fraction. As the ejection fraction deteriorates, the patient will experience heart failure symptoms.21 Table 1 is a summary of the different types of mitral disease and their classification.