Frequency of Mitral Regurgitation after Acute St-Elevation Myocardial Infarction in Patients Presenting at Lady Reading Hospital

Background: Ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR) has become a well-known but severe side effect that occurs after acute ST-level span myocardial infarction (STEMI), causing a rise in morbidity levels and poor prognosis. Regardless of the improvement of reperfusion treatment techniques, a considerable proportion of affected patients still develops IMR because of the alteration of left ventricular geometry and abnormalities in local wall motion caused by the ischemia. In this study, the authors sought to establish the prevalence rate of IMR among patients admitted with acute STEMI to lady reading Hospital, Peshawar. Procedures: The study was conducted on a cross-sectional basis in the cardiology Department of Lady Reading Hospital. There were 185 consecutive patients without probability sampling aged between 30 to 75 years with confirmed acute STEMI who were enrolled. Patients with previous mitral regurgitation, rheumatic heart disease, repeated MI, and pregnancy were not included. IT was characterized by means of transthoracic echocardiography with normal morphology of the mitral valve and regional wall movements as a complication of coronary artery disease. The SPSS version 25 was used to analyze data. Relationships with clinical variables were measured using stratification and chi-square testing. Results: Among 185 patients, 70 patients (37.8%) encountered the development of ischemic mitral regurgitation. IMR had significant association with older age of age 60 years and above ( p=0.019), female gender ( p=0.041), BMI of 25kg/m2 and above ( p=0.032), hypertension ( p=0.008), and diabetes mellitus ( p=0.003). They were not significantly associated with smoking, socioeconomic status or residence. Closure: IMR is a common complication associated with STEMI especially in the older, hypertensive, diabetic, and overweight population. An immediate heart ultrasound assessment and selective treatment of risk factors are needed to enhance the prognosis of STEMI patients.