Why can't vasodilators be used for mitral stenosis?

Written by Xie Zhi Hong
Cardiology
Updated on May 08, 2025
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Mitral stenosis primarily restricts the return blood volume to the left ventricle. If the stenosis is particularly severe, it can lead to a significant decrease in return blood volume, resulting in poorer pumping function. There are several main factors that affect return blood volume. The first is sufficient circulating blood volume, and the second is the degree of mitral stenosis. Therefore, after using vasodilators, a large amount of blood flows into the capacitance vessels. As a result, the return blood volume decreases, which can further reduce the return blood volume through the already narrowed mitral valve, leading to worsening breathing difficulties in patients, severe cases can cause fainting, or even sudden death.

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Can mild regurgitation of the heart's mitral and tricuspid valves be repaired?

Mild regurgitation of the heart's mitral and tricuspid valves is a very common phenomenon clinically. This mild regurgitation will not disappear nor can it be repaired. However, from a medical perspective, this mild regurgitation is a normal physiological phenomenon; it does not cause symptoms, does not affect health, and does not require treatment. Naturally, there is also no need to consider repairs. In daily life, it is important to maintain good habits, abstain from smoking and alcohol, engage in regular exercise, and have periodic health checks including blood pressure monitoring and blood tests for lipids and glucose. Early identification and proactive intervention in cases of high blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar can effectively prevent worsening of this regurgitation.

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What is mild regurgitation of the mitral and tricuspid valves?

If a cardiac echocardiogram simply finds mild regurgitation of the mitral and tricuspid valves, and the heart isn't noticeably enlarged, and the valves have no organic lesions, this mild regurgitation of the mitral and tricuspid valves isn't considered a pathological state. It should be considered as physiological degeneration of the valves and doesn't require treatment, generally causing no harm to overall health. However, some occurrences of mild regurgitation of the mitral and tricuspid valves are due to enlargement of the left and right ventricles. In these cases, it's necessary to further identify the causes leading to the enlargement of the ventricles and actively address them to control the condition effectively. This avoids further enlargement of the ventricles, which could worsen the valve regurgitation and negatively impact health.

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Why does mitral stenosis cause thromboembolism?

Due to mitral stenosis, thrombus formation can sometimes occur, especially when ischemic cerebrovascular diseases lead to cerebral infarction. This is because mitral stenosis can cause emboli to dislodge and travel through the bloodstream to reach the cerebral arteries or veins, leading to thrombus formation. During this period, anticoagulant medications are sometimes used for treatment. If a patient has a history of mitral stenosis, it is necessary to actively use medications for treatment. During this time, it is also important to monitor changes in the patient’s heart rate, blood pressure, and pulse to control the ventricular rate. Currently, treatment is primarily symptomatic, aimed at improving cardiac function.

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Mild regurgitation of the mitral and tricuspid valves, what's the cause?

Mild regurgitation of the mitral and tricuspid valves, if seen in healthy individuals without related organic diseases, mainly occurs due to the physiological aging of the mitral and tricuspid valves as age increases. This results in slight insufficiency during ventricular contraction, leading to mild regurgitation. This condition is not pathological and does not require treatment, nor does it lead to adverse consequences. However, if the mild regurgitation of the mitral and tricuspid valves is accompanied by an organic disease that causes ventricular enlargement, the cardiac enlargement and annular dilation result in relative regurgitation due to the organic disease. It is necessary to actively control the underlying disease to prevent further enlargement of the heart, which could worsen the insufficiency and cause more blood regurgitation.

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Can people with mitral stenosis have children?

If the patient has mitral stenosis, the decision on whether to have children should be based on the size and extent of the narrowing. This is because, in the late stages of pregnancy, this condition can be life-threatening, especially as it can lead to heart failure. This occurs because blood volume increases and the heart is overloaded, which is very dangerous. It can cause the fetus to develop certain diseases due to ischemia and hypoxia, potentially endangering its life. Since mitral stenosis is a type of congenital heart disease, surgical treatment is sometimes necessary to alleviate the condition. The decision to have children can vary depending on individual differences and is not absolute. If the symptoms are severe, it is recommended not to have children.