Aortic Valve Regurgitation: Medications

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Medications

Treatment for chronic aortic valve regurgitation includes medications to reduce blood pressure. If you have valve replacement surgery, you will need to take medications to prevent infection and blood clots around the artificial valve.

If your regurgitation is moderate to severe, your doctor may prescribe the calcium channel blocker nifedipine (such as Procardia), an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, or the vasodilator hydralazine (Apresoline). These medications, which are typically prescribed for high blood pressure, have been shown to decrease the progress of aortic valve regurgitation and delay the need for valve replacement surgery.⁴

If aortic valve regurgitation causes chest pain, medications called nitrates (nitroglycerin) can sometimes be tried to help relieve the pain. Antiarrhythmic medications may be needed if the regurgitation leads to irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias). If aortic valve regurgitation causes heart failure, medications are often used to help the heart pump more effectively. These include digoxin and diuretics.

If you have an artificial valve, getting an infection in your heart (endocarditis) can be very dangerous for you. To prevent an infection, you may need to take antibiotics before you have certain dental or surgical procedures. People who have had rheumatic fever may need to take antibiotics for 5 to 10 years after the infection, depending on the damage to the heart.

If your valve is replaced with an artificial heart valve made of plastic, metal, or cloth, you will have to take anticoagulant medication, such as warfarin (Coumadin, for example), to prevent blood clots for the rest of your life.

If you take warfarin, don't suddenly change your intake of foods that are rich in vitamin K. Vitamin K can interfere with the action of anticoagulants, making it more likely that your blood will clot. For more information, see:

Eating a steady amount of vitamin K when you take warfarin (Coumadin).

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Last updated:	February 01, 2006
Author:	Merrill Hayden
Reviewed By:	Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine, Stephen Fort, MD, MRCP, FRCPC - Interventional Cardiology
Editors:	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS, Terrina Vail

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