Medicines do not prevent or correct the damage to the heart caused by mitral valve regurgitation (MR). But in chronic MR, medicines may help relieve symptoms in people who are not good candidates for surgery or in people who are waiting for surgery to repair or replace their damaged valve.

People with chronic and severe MR who also have an enlarged, abnormally functioning left ventricle may not benefit from mitral valve surgery and are often treated with medicines to relieve their symptoms. Depending on the severity of their MR, some older people may also be treated with medicines because they may be at greater risk for developing complications during or following surgery. A number of medicines are used to treat MR.

• Vasodilators (such as ACE inhibitors) widen blood vessels and may be used to help the heart pump more efficiently and to reduce regurgitation.
• Anticoagulants prevent blood clots and may be used after valve surgery or when atrial fibrillation is present.
• Aspirin prevents blood clots and may be used after mitral valve surgery or as a preventive step.
• Beta-blockers, antiarrhythmics, or calcium channel blockers may be used if atrial fibrillation is present.
• Digoxin may be used if atrial fibrillation or the symptoms of heart failure are present.
• Diuretics are useful if heart failure is present.
• Antibiotics may be used to lower the risk of rheumatic fever. Or they may be used if you have an artificial heart valve to lower the risk of a heart infection (endocarditis).

In acute MR, medicines are used to stabilize your condition until you can have surgery to replace or repair the valve. Vasodilators such as nitroprusside help reduce the amount of blood flowing back into the left atrium. Diuretics help reduce workload on the heart.

What to think about

If you take warfarin, don't suddenly change your intake of foods that are rich in vitamin K. Vitamin K can interfere with the action of anticoagulants, making it more likely that your blood will clot. For more information, see:

Anticoagulants: Vitamin K and your diet.