Insuficiencia mitral: magnitud del problema y opciones de mejora

Abstract

Introduction and epidemiologyThe prevalence of heart valve disease is progressively increasing mainly due to its degenerative etiology and the increase in expectancy of life in the general population. Prognosis and diagnosisModerate and severe mitral regurgitation (MI) worsen patients’ prognosis regardless of the mechanism responsible and the left ventricle systolic function. A higher index of clinical suspicion and routine cardiac auscultation followed by echocardiography are key tools for early diagnosis, even among asymptomatic patients. TreatmentMitral surgery is the main treatment for MI. In the last years, percutaneous procedures such as edge-to-edge transcatheter repair have been developed to treat a wider spectrum of patients. Despite the high mortality of patients with significant untreated MI, the reality is that MI is a clearly undertreated entity. ConclusionsThere are points of improvement along the flow followed by the patient with MI. Raising awareness among the population, improving early diagnosis and always seeking the best treatment are strategies that can lead to optimizing the management of patients with MI.