A 52-year-old female with mitral valve stenosis is admitted to the floor. She asks the nurse why she got this condition because it does not run in her family. The nurse explains most cases of mitral stenosis are due to a history of

Number 3 is correct.

Rationale: The most common cause of mitral valve stenosis is rheumatic heart disease caused by a past history of rheumatic fever. Infective endocarditis is another, less common, cause of mitral valve stenosis. Right-sided heart failure, hypercholesterolemia, and viral meningitis do not cause mitral valve stenosis.