By Julian Booker MD Help!! It’s an emergency!! I have a hole in my heart!! My last doctor performed an echocardiogram and told me I have a patent foramen ovale (PFO). What does this mean? More importantly, what does this mean for me? The foramen ovale is a shunt that is a necessary component of […]
Mitral Valve Prolapse – Part 5 – How Common is it?
Before reading this, if you haven’t read the first few posts, go ahead and read them so you have a good understanding of what mitral valve prolapse is, and how the valve is affected. Mitral valve prolapse has had several names over the years, including floppy valve syndrome, click syndrome, and click murmur syndrome. Up […]
Heart Failure – How Much Salt Can I Eat?
By Jason L. Guichard MD, PhD Even though the term “heart failure” sounds incurable and fatal, most patients with heart failure are still able to live long and healthy lives. The key to heart failure management is early diagnosis and treatment, including lifestyle changes. The treatment of heart failure is complex and individualized to each […]
Is it safe to take Viagra with my heart medications?
Sexual activity plays a crucial role in the psychological health and quality of life scores in patients with cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately, intimacy is frequently an issue in patient with cardiovascular disease. The causes of sexual dysfunction following myocardial infarction are multiple and include anxiety, depression, medication effect and vascular insufficiency. Regardless of the cause, the […]
High Triglycerides and My Heart
By Julian Booker MD Triglycerides are a type of fat found in your blood. Excess triglycerides are then stored in fat cells throughout your body. If you eat too many calories, it is a good bet that those extra calories will be triglycerides at some point. A normal triglyceride level is less than 150 mg/dl and […]
Mitral Valve Prolapse – Part 4 – Mitral Regurgitation
By Mustafa Ahmed MD So far we have discussed what mitral valve prolapse is, and what causes it. If you have not read the previous sections yet, then I suggest you go read those first to have a basic understanding of the mitral valve. Now we will discuss one of the complications of mitral valve […]
Mitral Valve Prolapse – Part 3 – The Dreaded ‘Flail leaflet’
Think of the mitral valve in mitral valve prolapse as a parachute. The canopy of the parachute is rounded, like a mitral valve prolapse valve (where as in a normal valve it would be a flat top). The strings that connect the canopy to the person are like the ‘chordae’ that attach the valve to […]
When can I have sex after a heart attack?
Okay. First things first. If you have heart trouble, CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN before proceeding with sexual activity. You should complete a thorough history and physical exam to determine that you are indeed low risk. Now that we have that out of the way, we will review the American Heart Association’s consensus statement on sex after […]
Mitral Valve Prolapse – Part 2 – The Valve
By Mustafa Ahmed MD So now you understand the basics of mitral valve prolapse. When initially described as a relatively common cause of mitral valve disease in the 1950’s, mitral valve prolapse (MVP) was known as ‘floppy valve syndrome.’ The underlying process making the valve floppy is technically termed ‘myxomatous degeneration,’ which literally means jelly-like […]
Mitral Valve Prolapse – Part 1 – The Basics
What is the Mitral Valve ? Blood flow through the left side of the heart is simple. It goes from the top chamber of the heart, to the bottom chamber of the heart then out to the body. The mitral valve is the valve between the top and bottom chambers that is simply there to […]
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