Rheumatic Heart Disease: Pathophysiology and Management

Background: Rheumatic heart disease, which is frequently disregarded by the media and decision-makers, is a significant burden in poor nations where it accounts for the majority of youth cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, resulting in around 250,000 deaths annually globally. An aberrant autoimmune reaction to a group A streptococcal infection in a genetically vulnerable host causes the disease. The antecedent of rheumatic heart disease, acute rheumatic fever, can damage several organs and cause irreversible valve damage as well as heart failure. Penicillin works well to prevent the disease, but treating cases that have progressed requires a lot of resources, which makes managing disease particularly difficult in developing countries. Antibiotic prophylaxis against recurring episodes of acute rheumatic fever has thus been stressed in guidelines, and it appears to be a practical and cost-effective treatment. Conclusion: Screening populations at risk for rheumatic heart disease in endemic areas may enable early detection and focused therapy. Active surveillance using echocardiography-based screening may become crucial in this situation.