Recipients of mechanical heart valves need lifelong blood thinners to prevent blood clots, whereas biological tissue valves made from cow, pig, or human heart tissue break down over time and may eventually need replacement.
Notes on verification
Well-corroborated by Cleveland Clinic, American Heart Association, and peer-reviewed medical literature (PMC8276624). Consistent across clinical and patient education sources. [tier=gold indep_score=0.867 clusters=3 claim_tier=notable]
Sources
- Bicuspid aortic valve - Overview - Mayo Clinic (seed:health_and_medicine)
- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/23966-heart-valve-replacement (corroboration)
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8276624/ (corroboration)
- https://newsroom.heart.org/news/patients-taking-edoxoban-after-heart-valve-surgery-had-lower-risk-of-stroke-blood-clots (corroboration)