Managing mitral valve disease: Progress and promise
The mitral valve — so named because it resembles a miter, a bishop's formal headdress — sits between the two chambers on the left side of your heart. Inherited conditions, diseases, or a combination of the two can cause changes in the size, shape, flexibility, or mechanics of the mitral valve, leaving it unable to close properly. When that happens, blood may flow backward between heartbeats, a problem called regurgitation.
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