Is tricuspid valve regurgitation dangerous?

The article was professionally consulted by Dr. Nguyen Van Duong - Interventional Cardiologist - Cardiovascular Center - Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital. The doctor has many years of experience in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

The structure of the heart consists of 4 chambers: 2 lower ventricles, 2 upper atria and are connected by heart valves. Heart valves regulate blood flow in and out of the heart and between the chambers. Valves can be thought of as faucets, opening and allowing blood to flow freely, or closing and stopping the flow altogether. The tricuspid valve is the valve between the right ventricle and the right atrium. Tricuspid regurgitation is a condition in which the tricuspid valve does not close properly during systole, causing blood not to go all the way down to the right ventricle, but back into the right atrium, causing the heart to increase contraction. Over time this condition can impair heart function. Clinically, based on echocardiography, tricuspid regurgitation is divided into 4 levels from mild to severe: 1/4, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4. In fact, it has been shown that 50-60% of patients have no symptoms of mild tricuspid regurgitation or 1/4 tricuspid regurgitation, about 15% have moderate tricuspid regurgitation.

There are three main causes of tricuspid regurgitation:
Right ventricular stenosis. It is a common cause of tricuspid regurgitation. The right ventricle is responsible for pumping blood from the heart to the lungs. When the right ventricle narrows, it is forced to work too hard, causing the right ventricle to dilate, long-term hypertrophy leads to tricuspid regurgitation. Infective endocarditis. Endocardial infection can directly damage the tricuspid valve, eventually leading to tricuspid regurgitation. Take weight loss pills. Diet pills containing phentermine and fenfluramine can lead to tricuspid regurgitation. Other causes include: thoracic trauma, lupus erythematosus, congenital Ebstein, rheumatoid arthritis...

Tricuspid regurgitation 1/4 is the mildest degree of tricuspid regurgitation and about 70% of normal people have tricuspid regurgitation, so it is called physiological tricuspid regurgitation. If there are no symptoms of tricuspid regurgitation, the disease is not dangerous and does not need to be treated with drugs or surgical intervention.

Most of the patients with tricuspid regurgitation have no symptoms, but when symptoms appear, such as shortness of breath on exertion, fatigue, heart rhythm disturbances such as palpitations, syncope, chest pain, dry cough Most persistent at night, edema of the lower extremities needs to be seen by a cardiologist because this may be a sign of worsening tricuspid regurgitation. In case of symptomatic tricuspid regurgitation of 1/4, tricuspid regurgitation of 1/4 accompanied by other diseases such as mitral regurgitation, pulmonary hypertension, etc., should be treated according to the protocol. , treat the cause and associated diseases. Tricuspid valve regurgitation 1/4 can be a consequence of dangerous diseases such as myocardial infarction, myocardial ischemia, rheumatic heart disease, so when detecting mild tricuspid regurgitation, it is necessary to evaluate other diseases. life-threatening diseases. Severe tricuspid regurgitation for a long time when not treated well can lead to heart failure. Therefore, patients with mild tricuspid regurgitation should have their health checked and regular Doppler echocardiography of the heart.

Change your lifestyle in a healthy way so that tricuspid regurgitation does not get worse. Measures include:
Quit smoking, stimulants such as alcohol, coffee,...;

Avoid stress; Exercise at least 30 minutes a day; Limit foods containing a lot of cholesterol or saturated fatty acids such as animal fat, viscera, fast food, canned food; Eat lighter than usual; Increase fiber and vitamins found in vegetables, grains, vegetable protein; Prevent infective endocarditis by thoroughly treating respiratory infections, pharyngitis, periodontitis, etc. To protect cardiovascular health in general and detect early signs of heart disease Cardiovascular screening, customers can register for Cardiovascular Screening Package - Basic Cardiovascular Examination of Vinmec International General Hospital. The examination package helps to detect cardiovascular problems at the earliest through tests and modern imaging methods. The package is for all ages, genders and is especially essential for people with risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

References: healthline.com , bestpractice.bmj.com