Causes

The most common cause of a leaky tricuspid valve are structural changes that cause part of the heart to widen. The valve gets stretched and misshapen as a result.

Conditions such as heart failure or cardiomyopathy (when the heart muscle becomes thickened and stiff) that put added strain on the heart can contribute to the valve being stretched.

Tricuspid regurgitation can also develop as a result of:

• Infection, such as rheumatic fever (a complication of strep throat) or endocarditis (infection and inflammation of the lining of the heart and heart valves)
• Congenital heart disease, such as Ebstein anomaly in which the tricuspid valve does not form correctly (this is often the cause in younger people with a leaky valve)
• Pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the lungs, which may be due to Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, lung conditions that can block airways and make it difficult to breathe)
• Problems with the mitral valve or aortic valve
• Injury caused while placing or removing pacemaker wires
• Chest injury from a car accident or other blunt trauma
• Marfan syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects the body’s connective tissue
• Radiation therapy for cancer