Chen CY, Chan YH, Wu VCC, et al. - Since there exist only few studies comparing the long-term results of bioprosthetic valves and mechanical valves in patients suffering from rheumatic heart disease (RHD) undergoing mitral valve (MV) replacement, thus, researchers explored this topic herein by utilizing Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database. They analyzed 3,638 patients with RHD who had MV replacement. Of those, 1,075 (29.5%) chose a bioprosthetic valve and 2,563 (70.5%) preferred a mechanical valve. Post-matching, each group comprised 788 patients. The bioprosthetic valve group was found to have higher risks of all-cause mortality and MV reoperation. Overall, more favorable long-term outcomes in patients below the age of 65 years were observed in relation to mechanical valves, in this study population of RHD patients who received MV replacement.