This news item is about: Clinical researchers at the Cornell University Hospital for Animals are hoping to turn back the clock for small breed dogs that have one of the most common cardiac diseases: mitral valve regurgitation due to degeneration of the valve leaflets. The team intends to develop a better understanding of the fundamental mechanism for the loss of proper valve function and to evaluate earlier treatment options that may delay the development of congestive heart failure. Clinical cardiologists (Drs. N. Sydney Moïse, Bruce Kornreich, and resident Andrew Waxman) are collaborating with Dr. Jonathan Butcher, Cornell University assistant professor of biomedical engineering, to determine the biomechanics and influence of blood flow on the mitral valve leaflets.