TY - JOUR T1 - Current medical management of valvular heart disease JF - Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine JO - Cleve Clin J Med SP - 881 LP - 887 VL - 68 IS - 10 AU - Emil Hayek A2 - Griffin, Brian P. Y1 - 2001/10/01 UR - http://www.ccjm.org/content/68/10/881.abstract N2 - Drug therapy plays a key role in the management of valvular heart disease, though in many cases it does not alter its course or delay the need for surgery. The importance of drug therapy lies in stabilizing the patient’s condition when the disease is due to abnormal valve structure, and in treating the underlying condition when the condition is due to a functional abnormality. Drug therapy also lowers the risk of bacterial endocarditis and rheumatic fever. ER -