Mitral valve regurgitation is a powerful factor of left ventricular hypertrophy

INTRODUCTION: Mitral valve regurgitation (MR) is a common abnormality found on echocardiography which in its advanced stage is a major cause of congestive heart failure. Cardiac remodeling associated with MR is caused by volume overload, dilatation and enlargement of the left ventricle and atrium. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to evaluate hemodynamic consequences of MR both for the cardiac chambers and hypertrophy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 1432 patients (mean age 54 +/-15 years, male - 55%) with MR recorded in the transthoracic echocardiography database. Associations between the stage of MR and other variables in these patients were analyzed. RESULTS: More advanced grades of MR were associated with progressive enlargement of left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic dimensions. LV ejection fraction (LVEF) was significantly decreasing with increased MR severity. A significant increase in the left atrial dimension and LV mass was observed. In multivariate regression analysis the grade of MR (p < 0.0001), age (p < 0.0001), endsystolic stress of LV (p < 0.0001), LV fractional shortening (p < 0.0001) and LVEF (p < 0.05) were found to be independently associated with LV mass. The strongest linear correlations were found between LV mass and endsystolic stress of LV (r = 0.52, p < 0.0001), the grade of MR (r = 0.32, p < 0.0001) and ejection fraction (r = -0.29, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: MR alters cardiac dimensions and function parameters and is also one of the strongest factors that increase LV hypertrophy.