Article Abstract:
Patients with mitral regurgitation due to flail leaflet should be offered surgery even if they are asymptomatic. This heart condition occurs when blood leaks back into the heart during contraction because the valve does not close properly. Researchers found that 86 patients with this condition who were only treated with drugs had death rates higher than in the general population. Even those with few symptoms had a high death rate. Within 10 years of their diagnosis, many of the patients either died or required surgery. Surgery significantly reduced the mortality rate in these patients.
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Article Abstract:
The dramatic decrease in mortality rates from coronary artery disease does not appear to be a result of a decline in the incidence of the disease. This was demonstrated by examining coronary angiograms in people planning surgery for heart valve disease between 1980 and 1989. None had any symptoms of coronary artery disease. The percentage of people with angiographically-confirmed atherosclerosis remained approximately the same throughout the time period. However, mortality rates from coronary artery disease dropped 23% during the same period.
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Article Abstract:
Rheumatic disease is the most common cause of aortic regurgitation in developing countries and the first step in evaluating patients is classifying the severity of regurgitation as mild, moderate-to-severe, and patients whose ventricular alteration is close to that constituting an indication for surgery. Prophylaxis against endocarditis is suggested for patients not requiring surgery.
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