Longevity & AgingSerotonin Accelerates Heart Valve Disease in People With a Specific Gene Variant
Columbia University scientists have found that serotonin — best known for mood regulation — may also accelerate a common heart valve disease called degenerative mitral regurgitation (DMR). The study, published in Science Translational Medicine, found that people who take SSRI antidepressants and carry a specific genetic variant affecting the serotonin transporter may experience faster valve deterioration. The mitral valve controls blood flow between two heart chambers, and when it degenerates, blood leaks backward, straining the heart and potentially causing atrial fibrillation or heart failure. No medication currently reverses the underlying valve damage — surgery remains the only fix when disease becomes severe. This research opens a new avenue for understanding who progresses fastest and why.
