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A person’s life expectancy with a leaking heart valve depends on which valve is leaking, the leak’s severity, and whether treatment is needed. In a healthy heart, valves control the direction of blood, making it flow throughout the body. There are four main valves in the heart:aortic mitral pulmonary, or pulmonictricuspid If any of these valves become leaky, it can cause some blood to flow backward, forcing the heart to work harder and slowing the flow of blood throughout the body. A leaking heart valve may cause symptoms in people with severe cases. Without treatment, the condition can reduce a person’s life expectancy. Read on to learn more about the life expectancy of people with leaking heart valve disorders. Overview Share on PinterestDarren Robb/Getty ImagesLeft untreated, leaking heart valves may:increase the risk of heart arrhythmiaslead to harmful blood clotscause sudden cardiac deathcause heart failure However, not all types of leaking heart valves are life threatening or require surgery. For example, many people with tricuspid valve regurgitation do not have symptoms. Learn more about leaky heart valve conditions. What can life expectancy depend on Many factors affect the life expectancy of someone with a leaky heart valve. Factors to consider include: which valve leaks and how severe the leak is whether a person needs surgery and is able to undergo surgeryhow early a doctor diagnoses and treats the leaky valve, and whether the leak has damaged the heart a person’s overall health, and whether they have other medical conditions that might complicate a leaky heart valve a person’s age Life expectancy without surgery Generally, leaking heart valves that are left untreated can impact life expectancy. Aortic regurgitation Aortic valve regurgitation affects 4.9–10% of the U.S. population. It causes more deaths than other types of leaky valves. With aortic regurgitation, a person might have no symptoms. However, this condition tends to progress over time and can cause symptoms that need treatment. People with a severe form of the disease may experience: shortness of breathfatiguechest painheart palpitations In the early stages of the disease, doctors recommend monitoring for the development of symptoms. Once a person develops symptoms, their risk of pulmonary edema, congestive heart failure, and other serious complications increases. Older research from 1999 notes that without surgery, the outlook for people who have symptomatic, severe aortic valve regurgitation is poor, with around 28% surviving 3 years or longer. However, treatment can improve life expectancy. Mitral regurgitation Mitral regurgitation may also cause no symptoms. Similar to aortic regurgitation, long-term survival depends on symptoms, if any, and disease severity. However, this condition increases the risk of dying over time. Mitral regurgitation has two main categories: primary and secondary. Surgery has not been shown to improve long-term survival in people with secondary mitral regurgitation. A 2009 study, found that the annual rate of death for people over age 50 with mitral regurgitation was 3% with moderate disease and 6% with severe disease. Another study from 2009 — involving 144 people — found a 5-year death rate of 30% for mitral regurgitation compared with 13% in an age-matched control group. Tricuspid regurgitation Tricuspid regurgitation sometimes causes no symptoms. When this happens, doctors may recommend only monitoring the condition. If people do develop symptoms, doctors may then recommend treatment. However, treatment depends on the symptoms’ severity. Treatment may not always require surgery, either. Researchers in a 2018 paper emphasize that tricuspid regurgitation left untreated can worsen long-term survival and may complicate other medical conditions. Still, a person’s specific survival rate without treatment depends on the severity of their disease. Pulmonary regurgitation Significant pulmonary regurgitation is rare. Sometimes it is an isolated issue that might cause no noticeable symptoms. More often, an underlying heart health problem causes symptoms rather than pulmonary regurgitation itself. Left untreated, pulmonary regurgitation can cause: arrhythmiasright heart failureother serious conditions In most cases, doctors focus on managing the underlying cause of pulmonary regurgitation, like pulmonary hypertension. Life expectancy with treatment Treatment can improve symptoms and quality of life. It can also prolong a person’s life. However, treatment may pose risks for some people. Therefore, doctors must weigh the benefits of treatment against its potential risks. Mitral regurgitation Generally, mitral regurgitation surgery can improve overall survival. Surgery to repair or replace mitral valves can pose significant risks. Research from 2013 has found a 3.9% death rate during mitral valve repair surgery and an 8.9% death rate for mitral valve replacement surgery. However, a 2018 study involving 83 people who sought treatment for asymptomatic mitral regurgitation found that surgery can restore a person’s quality of life and a typical life expectancy. Participants had an average age of 56. The 10-year survival rate after surgery was 91.5%. Pulmonary regurgitation The need for surgery to treat pulmonary regurgitation remains controversial. Surgery is typically only reserved for people who have symptoms. Severe symptoms of pulmonary regurgitation include: decreased tolerance during exercisechest pain new murmurs difficulty breathing, or dyspnea For people who are not good candidates for surgery, doctors may prescribe medication, such as:diureticsACE inhibitorsbeta-blockers Treatment can improve survival and reduce the risk of arrhythmias. However, a specific survival rate depends on the person, as well as any underlying conditions that caused the leaky valve. Aortic regurgitation Aortic valve replacement can improve life expectancy. However, a person’s life expectancy may still be reduced compared with the general population, depending on their age, overall health, and disease severity. According to a 2014 study, this reduction in life expectancy may be higher in people aged 50 and younger. In a 2021 study involving 8,353 people over age 60 who had an aortic valve replacement, researchers found median survival rates of:10.9 years in low risk participants 7.3 years in intermediate risk participants5.8 years in high risk participants Tricuspid regurgitation With surgery, the outlook and long-term survival for tricuspid regurgitation are poor. In one 2009 study, researchers followed 315 people who had received mitral valve replacement or repair surgery from 1985 to 2006. They found the following: Survival rates were similar across both groups.In the replacement cohort, survival was 85% at 1 year and 49% at 10 years. In the repair cohort, survival was 80% at 1 year and 66% at 10 years.Similar percentages of people died as a result of having surgery in the replacement and repair groups. However, a person’s specific survival depends on their overall health status. Life expectancy in the older population Predicting life expectancy in older adults with leaky valves can be challenging because of the risks of surgery itself. In addition, older adults are more likely to have comorbidities that complicate leaky heart valves. These comorbidities might include: diabeteshigh blood pressurehigh levels of fats in the bloodkidney diseasefrailty vascular disease, which can also affect survival after valve surgery Research from 2013 assessed the impact of mitral valve surgery in adults aged 65 and over. Researchers found a better life expectancy in this population than previously studied. Researchers also found that surgery can improve symptoms and a person’s quality of life. On the basis of these findings, researchers recommend surgery for all people, regardless of their age. Complications When a heart valve leaks, the heart cannot effectively control the flow of blood. Over time, this can damage the heart and cause a range of complications. The specific complications that arise depend on a person’s health and the type of heart valve regurgitation they have. Surgery to treat leaky heart valves may also carry some risks. These include: infectionexcessive bleeding blood clotskidney problems Summary A leaky heart valve may not have any symptoms. In other cases, it may cause a range of symptoms. Life expectancy depends on many factors, including a person’s overall health and age, and the severity of the leak. In many cases, the leaky valves get worse with time. It is important to seek prompt treatment if a person thinks they might have a leaking heart valve or any other heart health problem. The sooner a doctor can make a diagnosis, the sooner monitoring or treatment can start. Last medically reviewed on September 29, 2022Heart DiseaseHypertensionPublic HealthCardiovascular / Cardiologyheartvalvedisorders 20 sourcescollapsedMedical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We avoid using tertiary references. We link primary sources — including studies, scientific references, and statistics — within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.Bouhout I., et al. (2014). Long-term outcomes after elective isolated mechanical aortic valve replacement in young adults.https://www.jtcvs.org/action/showPdf?pii=S0022-5223%2813%2901295-6Dewaswala, N., et al. (2021). Aortic regurgitation.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK555944/Douedi, S., et al. (2022). Mitral regurgitation.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK553135/Dujardin, K. et al. (1998). Mortality and morbidity for aortic regurgitation in clinical practice: A long-term follow-up study.https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/01.cir.99.14.1851?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200pubmedEnriquez-Sarano, M. et al. (2009). Mitral regurgitation.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(09)60692-9/fulltextFender, E. A., et al. (2018). Isolated tricuspid regurgitation: outcomes and therapeutic interventions [Abstract].https://heart.bmj.com/content/104/10/798Life expectancy after aortic valve replacement. (2019).https://therossprocedure.org/life-expectancy-after-aortic-valve-replacement/Lindmark, K., et al. (2009). Long-term follow-up of mitral valve regurgitation-- importance of mitral valve pathology and left ventricular function on survival.https://www.internationaljournalofcardiology.com/article/S0167-5273(08)00834-6/fulltextMartinsson, A., et al. (2021). Life expectancy after surgical aortic valve replacement [Abstract].https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34823657/Moraca, R. J., et al. (2009). Outcomes of tricuspid valve repair and replacement: A propensity analysis.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0003497508021139Mulla, S., et al. (2022). Tricuspid regurgitation.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK526121/O'Gara, P. T., et al. (2020). Secondary mitral regurgitation.https://www.pcacc.org/resources/Documents/CVT/4-21-21%20JC%20-%20Seconday%20Mitral%20Regurgitation.pdfProblem: Heart valve regurgitation. (2020).https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-valve-problems-and-disease/heart-valve-problems-and-causes/problem-heart-valve-regurgitationProblem: Pulmonary valve regurgitation. (2020).https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-valve-problems-and-disease/heart-valve-problems-and-causes/problem-pulmonary-valve-regurgitationRisks: Aortic valve replacement. (2021).https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/aortic-valve-replacement/risks/Saji, A. M., et al. (2022). Pulmonary regurgitation.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557564/Tarramasso, M. et al. (2019). Tricuspid regurgitation: Predicting the need for intervention, procedural success, and recurrence of disease.https://www.jacc.org/doi/epdf/10.1016/j.jcmg.2018.11.034Tomšič, A. et al. (2018). Long-term results of mitral valve repair for severe mitral regurgitation in asymptomatic patients.https://www.journal-of-cardiology.com/article/S0914-5087(18)30139-4/fulltextValvular heart disease. (2019).https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/valvular_disease.htmVassileva, C. M., et al. (2013). Long-term survival of patients undergoing mitral valve repair and replacement: A longitudinal analysis of medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries.https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/circulationaha.113.002200FEEDBACK:Medically reviewed by Angela Ryan Lee, MD, FACC — By Zawn Villines on September 29, 2022 Latest newsWhat sets 'SuperAgers' apart? Their unusually large neuronsOmega-3 may provide a brain boost for people in midlifeSeasonal affective disorder (SAD): How to beat it this fall and winterCDC: Monkeypox in the US 'unlikely to be eliminated in the near future'Why are more women prone to Alzheimer's? New clues arise Related CoverageWhat to know about heart valvesMedically reviewed by Dr. Payal Kohli, M.D., FACC The four valves of the heart prevent blood from flowing in the wrong direction, and open or close each time the heart beats. 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