NEW YORK (Dec. 11, 2007) — In as many as one in five people over age 55, when the heart contracts to send blood around the body, some degree of backward leakage occurs across the mitral valve, a condition known as mitral regurgitation (MR). When sufficiently severe, MR causes buildup of blood in the lungs, leading to difficulty in breathing (dyspnea, or “shortness of breath”), a serious condition called congestive heart failure. MR also can cause heart rhythm irregularities (arrhythmias) such as atrial fibrillation, which can lead to strokes and other problems, and ventricular tachycardia, which can cause sudden death.
