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Cardiac Valvular Medicine pp 111–121Cite as

Role of Statins in Valvular Heart Disease: Rheumatic Valve Disease and Bioprosthetic Valves

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Abstract

Although rare nowadays in North America and Europe, rheumatic heart disease (RHD) continues to be an important healthcare problem in developing countries with an estimated prevalence of 15.6 million people worldwide and 470,000 newly diagnosed cases every year (Carapetis et al. 2005). Acute rheumatic fever leads to an abnormal immune response to the infection with rheumatogenic group A hemolytic streptococci leading to pancarditis with acute inflammation of the leaflets. Inflammation, fibrosis and calcification lead to alterations of the cusps and valvular apparatus, leading to mitral, aortic and/or tricuspid stenosis and/or regurgitation that will eventually become symptomatic. The mitral valve is commonly involved more often leading to mitral stenosis meanwhile isolated aortic or tricuspid involvement is rare (Marijon et al. 2007). Typical aspects of rheumatic involvement in valve disease are represented by adhesions and fusions of the commissures with cusp retraction and stiffening of the free borders of the cusps (Bonow et al. 2006).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiology, Cardiologia, ARC, Azienda Ospedaliera S. Maria degli Angeli, Via Montereale, 24, 33170, Pordenone, Italy

    Francesco Antonini-Canterin M.D.

  2. Department of Cardiology, Hospital S. João/University of Porto Medical School, Porto, Portugal

    Luis Moura M.D.

  3. Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, Rochester, 55905, MN, USA

    Nalini Marie Rajamannan M.D.

  4. Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Notre Dame, South Bend Indiana, Clay, IN, USA

    Nalini Marie Rajamannan M.D.

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  1. Francesco Antonini-Canterin M.D.
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  2. Luis Moura M.D.
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Correspondence to Francesco Antonini-Canterin M.D. .

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  1. , Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, 55905, Minnesota, USA

    Nalini M. Rajamannan

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Antonini-Canterin, F., Moura, L., Rajamannan, N.M. (2013). Role of Statins in Valvular Heart Disease: Rheumatic Valve Disease and Bioprosthetic Valves. In: Rajamannan, N. (eds) Cardiac Valvular Medicine. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-4132-7_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-4132-7_12

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