61. HeartPoint: Valvular Heart Disease A lot to be found here, including regurgitation, causes of valvular disease, therapy and surgeries available. An excellent diagram of regurgitant mitral valve in motion is shown. http://www.heartpoint.com/valvularheartdx.html

Valvular Heart Disease HeartPoint animation: this will take approximately 1 minute to load. It is easily understood that the muscle that we call the heart must continue to pump with adequate force to pump the blood that the body needs. "Valves" however are extremely important to the heart's efficiency. These delicate structures allow for the efficient flow of blood progressively forward through the heart's chambers, maximizing the efficiency of the heart muscle's work. To review the flow of blood through the heart, you can check out "The Heart" animation. link In the animation above, the Tricuspid Valve (between the right atrium and right ventricle) and the Pulmonic Valve (between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery) are illustrated to be working normally. After the right ventricle contracts, pressure is low in the chamber. The Tricuspid Valve, which had been closed from the pressure generated from the ventricle's contraction, now opens as the pressure of the blood from the right atrium has built up while the Tricuspid Valve was closed. The right ventricle will again contract, closing the Tricuspid Valve again, and pushing open the Pulmonic Valve. Once the right ventricle completes its contraction, the pressure in the pulmonary artery will be higher than in the right ventricle, and the Valve will close. The valves on the left side of the heart, the Aortic Valve and the Mitral Valve however, are not working properly. Blood returns from the lungs and empties into the left atrium. In this illustration, the Mitral Valve opens properly when the left ventricle is finished contracting, and allows blood to flow into the left ventricle easily. When the left ventricle contracts however, blood is shown to flow back into the left atrium through the Mitral Valve. This backward flow of blood is called

62. Aortic Valve Disease As the heart relaxes, the mitral valve is forced open, allowing blood from the Butwhen aortic valve disease is present, the valve no longer opens or closes http://www.wiheart.cardiologydomain.com/images/uploaded/WiscHeart/AVD.cfm

Basic Facts A normal aortic valve opens wide to allow blood to be pumped from the heart to the rest of the body and closes tightly to prevent blood from flowing back into the heart. Aortic stenosis is a narrowing or obstruction of the aortic valve that prevents the valve from opening properly, impeding the flow of blood from the heart’s left ventricle into the aorta. Aortic regurgitation occurs when the aortic valve does not close properly between heartbeats, allowing blood to regurgitate, or spill back, from the aorta into the left ventricle. The heart is a muscular pump divided into four chambers. Two thin-walled chambers, the left atrium and right atrium, form the upper part of the heart. The other chambers, the left and right ventricles, are the heart’s main blood-pumping chambers and form the bottom part of the heart. The right atrium receives blood as it returns to the heart from the veins from different parts of the body and transports blood to the right ventricle, and the left atrium receives oxygenated blood from the lungs and transports it to the left ventricle. The right ventricle pumps blood into the lungs to be oxygenated, while the left ventricle pumps blood to the rest of the body to deliver the oxygen. The valves between these chambers affect the way that blood flows through the heart. There are two valves on the right side of the heart, the tricuspid and pulmonary valves, and two valves on the left side of the heart, the mitral and aortic valves. These valves resemble flaps, and each valve is made up of segments or leaflets. The valves open and close to keep blood flowing through the heart in only one direction.

63. Mitral Valve Prolapse - Texas Heart Institute Heart Information Center org/ Heart Stroke Encyclopedia M mitral valve and mitral valve Prolapse. relatedto the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cardiovascular disease. http://www.tmc.edu/thi/mvp.html

//var DOCUMENTGROUP=''; //var DOCUMENTNAME=''; //var ACTION=''; Heart Information Center Mitral Valve Prolapse What causes mitral valve prolapse? Among the most common heart conditions, mitral valve prolapse (MVP) remains something of a puzzle. Although MVP affects about 2% of the population, the cause is unknown. MVP often occurs in people who have no other heart problems, and the condition may be inherited. Located in the heart between the left atrium (upper-left chamber) and left ventricle (lower-left chamber), the mitral valve consists of two flaps or leaflets. These leaflets normally open and shut in coordinated fashion to allow blood to flow only in one direction—from the atrium to the ventricle. The left ventricle is the heart's main pump and propels oxygen-rich blood into the arteries, which carry the blood throughout the body. In patients with MVP, one or both of the flaps are enlarged, and the leaflets' supporting muscles are too long. Instead of closing evenly, one or both of the flaps collapse or bulge into the atrium, sometimes allowing small amounts of blood to flow back into the atrium. By listening to your heart with a stethoscope, your doctor may hear a "clicking" sound caused by the flapping of the leaflets.

64. Quality Indicator Guides: Heart Valve Disease...Explaining In heart valve disease, the aortic and mitral valves are most commonly affected,although the pulmonary and tricuspid valves sometimes malfunction. http://www.clevelandclinic.org/quality/08-02/08-02a.htm

Explaining Heart Valve Disease Heart Valve Disease Mitral Valve Prolapse A common cause of mitral regurgitation is mitral valve prolapse. This condition occurs when a valve loses its shape and becomes weakened or stretched, ballooning out and sometimes causing a back-flow of blood. This common condition, which may exist in as many as one in 10 Americans, rarely requires surgery. In a small percentage of cases, however, mitral valve prolapse may become severe enough to require regular medical attention or surgery. Heart Valve Disease The valves of the heart are made up of two or three very strong flaps of tissue, called leaflets, that open and close as the heart contracts and relaxes. When working properly, these leaflets keep blood flowing in the right direction in the heart. The mitral and tricuspid valves control the flow of blood from the upper chambers of the heart to the lower chambers; the aortic and pulmonary valves control the flow of blood out of the lower pumping chambers. Heart valve disease prevents the valves from opening or closing properly, thus interfering with the flow of blood. Symptoms of valve disease may include shortness of breath, chest pain, unusual tiring, dizziness or fainting.

65. Heart Guide - Types Of Disease - Valve Disease Congenital valve disease (bicuspid aortic valve). Acquired valve disease myxomatousvalve disease ( mitral valve prolapse); degenerative calcification; http://www.clevelandclinic.org/heartcenter/pub/guide/disease/valve_types.asp

Heart Guide Vascular Guide History of Innovations About Us ... Dictionary Treating the Heart, Blood Vessels and Circulation There are many types of valve disease. There are those that are developed before birth (congenital) or those which are acquired. Sometimes the cause of valve disease may be unknown. The most common types of valve disease include: Congenital valve disease (bicuspid aortic valve) Acquired valve disease: myxomatous valve disease ( mitral valve prolapse) degenerative calcification infection (rheumatic valve disease, endocarditis) Other causes of valve disease include : coronary artery disease, heart attacks, cardiomyopathy (heart muscle disease) , syphilis, hypertension, aortic aneurysms, connective tissue diseases, and less commonly, tumors, some types of drugs and radiation. Congenital valve disease means your valves are not formed correctly before birth. Valves may be the wrong size, have malformed leaflets, or have leaflets that are not attached to the annulus correctly; this most often affects the aortic or pulmonic valve. Bicuspid aortic valve is the most common type of congenital valve disease. Instead of the normal three leaflets or cusps, the bicuspid aortic valve has only two. Without the third leaflet, the valve may be:

66. Heart Valve Center four heart valves. The most common form of valvular heart disease isa leaky heart valve (eg, mitral valve prolapse). In a normally http://www.heartcenteronline.com/The_Heart_Valve_Center.html

The Heart Valve Center Heart valve disease is the name given to any dysfunction or abnormality of one or more of the four heart valves. The most common form of valvular heart disease is a leaky heart valve (e.g., mitral valve prolapse). Patients with certain types of congenital heart disease may be more prone to heart valve problems. There are a number of different types of valvular heart diseases, including: Mitral valve prolapse . A common and rarely serious condition in which the two flaps of the mitral valve (located between the left atrium and the left ventricle) cannot close properly. Valvular stenosis (such as aortic stenosis). A condition in which there is a narrowing, stiffening, thickening, fusion or blockage of one or more valves of the heart, causing leaky heart valves. Valvular regurgitation (such as mitral regurgitation). A condition in which blood leaks back in the wrong direction because one or more of the heart's valves is closing improperly. Atresia of one of the valves (such as tricuspid atresia ). A serious condition in which one of the valves has failed to develop properly and is completely closed at birth.

67. Heart Valve Disease (Valvular Heart Disease) Heart valve disease (valvular diseases) is the name given to any dysfunction or abnormalityof one or more of the four cardiac valves, including the mitral and http://www.heartcenteronline.com/Valvular_Heart_Disease_Overview.html

Heart Valve Disease (Valvular Heart Disease) Heart valve disease (valvular heart disease) is the name given to any dysfunction or abnormality of one or more of the heart's four valves, including the mitral and aortic valves on the left side, and the tricuspid and pulmonic valves on the right side. The two main types of valvular disease, regurgitation (leaking) and stenosis (narrowing) of the valves. In a normally functioning heart, the four valves (flaps made of tissue) keep blood flowing in one direction and only at the right time. They act as gates that swing open to allow blood to flow through and then tightly shut until the next cycle begins. There are a number of different types of valvular diseases. Valvular stenosis is a condition in which there is a narrowing, stiffening, thickening, fusion or blockage of one or more cardiac valves. Depending on which area is affected, the patient will be diagnosed with aortic stenosis, mitral stenosis, pulmonic stenosis or tricuspid stenosis. Valvular regurgitation is a condition in which blood leaks back in the wrong direction because one or more of the cardiac valves is closing improperly. Depending on the area affected, the patient will be diagnosed with aortic regurgitation, mitral regurgitation, pulmonary regurgitation or tricuspid regurgitation. Valvular atresia is a serious condition in which one of the valves has failed to develop properly and is completely closed at birth. Depending on which area is affected, the patient will be diagnosed with aortic atresia, mitral atresia

68. WOCKHARDT HOSPITAL-Know Your Heart- Valve Disease valve disease more than one valve is involved. Marfan's syndrome is an autosomaldominant inherited abnormality. Cardiovascular features include mitral valve http://www.whhi.com/congenital.htm

Congenital Heart Diseases - Cynotic a. Tetrology Of Fallot b. Transposition of Great Arteries c. Uni Ventricular Heart - Acynotic a. Atrial Septal Defect b. Ventricular Septal Defect c. Patient Ductus Arteriosus d. Aortic Valvular Stenosis e. Mitral Valve Stenosis f. Pulmonary Stenosis g. Coarctation of Aorta Congenital Heart Disease is a structural malformation of heart or great vessels present at birth not necessarily detected at birth. Abnormalities in the heart and great vessels at birth maybe due to intrauterine development errors or to the failure of the heart and blood vessels to adapt to the extra uterine life (involution). Possible causes: :: Fetal and maternal infection occurring during first trimester (primarily rubella) :: Effects of drugs (lithium) and alcohol :: Maternal dietary deficiencies :: Genetic factors (trisomies) :: Maternal age greater than 40yrs :: Maternal insulin dependent diabetes :: Frequently associated with other congenital defects TYPES: Acyanotic Heart Disease Acyanotic Congenital heart disease: Bluish discoloration of the skin is usually absent.

69. Heart Care - Heart Valve Disease - Methodist Health Care System, Houston, Texas The mitral and aortic valves are most often affected by heart valvedisease. Some of the more common heart valve diseases include http://www.methodisthealth.com/health/heart/valvdis.htm

Heart Care Home Las Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (en español) Clinical Services Methodist DeBakey Heart Center Multi-Organ Transplant Center at The Methodist Hospital Methodist Diagnostic Hospital Methodist Sugar Land Hospital ... Appointment Heart Valve Diseases What are heart valves? The heart consists of four chambers, two atria (upper chambers) and two ventricles (lower chambers). There is a valve through which blood passes before leaving each chamber of the heart. The valves prevent the backward flow of blood. These valves are actual flaps that are located on each end of the two ventricles (lower chambers of the heart). They act as one-way inlets of blood on one side of a ventricle and one-way outlets of blood on the other side of a ventricle. Each valve actually has three flaps, except the mitral valve, which has two flaps. The four heart valves include the following: tricuspid valve - located between the right atrium and the right ventricle pulmonary valve - located between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery mitral valve - located between the left atrium and the left ventricle aortic valve - located between the left ventricle and the aorta How do the heart valves function?

70. Treatment Of Mitral Valve Stenosis, Mayo Clinic In Rochester, Minn. When the mitral valve is narrowed, it is difficult for the blood to flow from theleft atrium into the left ventricle. Mayo Clinic Heart valve disease Clinic. http://www.mayoclinic.org/mitralvalvestenosis-rst/

search: Mayo Clinic Locations: Arizona Florida Minnesota Mayo Clinic ... Medical Services Mitral Valve Stenosis Mitral Valve Stenosis Treatment Definition of Mitral Valve Appointments Clinical Trials ... Medical Services Treatment of Mitral Valve Stenosis at Mayo Clinic in Rochester Narrowing of the mitral valve is called mitral valve stenosis. When the mitral valve is narrowed, it is difficult for the blood to flow from the left atrium into the left ventricle. As a result, the pressure in the left atrium increases. The increased pressure may cause the atrium to enlarge. Eventually, this increased pressure in the left atrium may cause fluid to leak into the lungs (pulmonary edema). The left atrium also can develop arrhythmia (abnormal rhythm), which can make the heart pump less efficiently. When the heart pumps less efficiently, some blood may stay in the atrium longer than normal, and blood clots are more likely to form. If a blood clot breaks loose, it can travel to other parts of the body and lead to blockage in an artery. One of the most serious risks is a blood clot traveling to the brain and causing a stroke. Mayo Clinic Heart Valve Disease Clinic Mayo Clinic Rochester's Heart Valve Disease Clinic provides patients with a state-of-the-art evaluation. The clinic is staffed by nationally-recognized cardiologists with a subspecialty expertise in the evaluation and treatment of heart valve problems and the complications of those valve problems.

71. Treatment Of Mitral Regurgitation, Mayo Clinic In Rochester, Minn. of mitral valve regurgitation is determined by the regurgitant volume and the amountthat flows backward during each beat. Mayo Clinic Heart valve disease http://www.mayoclinic.org/mitralregurgitation-rst/

search: Mayo Clinic Locations: Arizona Florida Minnesota Mayo Clinic ... Medical Services Mitral Regurgitation Mitral Regurgitation Treatment Definition of Mitral Valve Appointments Clinical Trials ... Medical Services Treatment of Mitral Regurgitation at Mayo Clinic in Rochester When the leaflets of the mitral valve do not fit together tightly, for whatever reason, blood flows backward and returns to the left atrium instead of moving forward through the ventricle and aortic valve. This backward flow is called mitral regurgitation/insufficiency. When the left ventricle contracts in a heart with mitral valve regurgitation, some blood flows backward into the left atrium instead of flowing forward toward the aorta (the main artery of the body). As a result, less blood flows to the rest of the body, the heart has to work harder and the left side of the heart becomes overloaded. Although the heart can work harder to compensate for the effect of the leaky valve, if the overload is too severe or lasts too long, the heart muscle eventually may lose its strength and fail. The severity of mitral valve regurgitation is determined by the regurgitant volume and the amount that flows backward during each beat. Mayo Clinic Heart Valve Disease Clinic Mayo Clinic Rochester's Heart Valve Disease Clinic provides patients with a state-of-the-art evaluation. The clinic is staffed by nationally-recognized cardiologists with a subspecialty expertise in the evaluation and treatment of heart valve problems and the complications of those valve problems.

72. Fen Phen Redux Diet Drugs Mitral Valve Prolapse heart valve disease in patients taking these diet pills, without any other knownreason for valve disease, including disease of the mitral valve, aortic valve http://www.fen-phen-diet-drugs.com/fen-phen.htm

s Your #1 source for Fen Phen News and Information See if you qualify for a free echocardiogram! Can't afford medical testing! Click here , You may qualify for a free Echocardiogram ... Fenfluramine and Dexfenfluramine In 1997 the FDA asked American Home Products as the makers of Pondimin (Fenfluramine) and Redux (Dexfenfluramine), to withdraw it's popular anti-obessity drugs from the market. American Home Products Corp. of Madison, N.J., manufactured fenfluramine under the brand name Pondimin and a American Home Product's subsidiary Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories, manufactured Dexfenfluramine for Interneuron Pharmaceuticals, which was marketed under the name of Redux. Medical studies have linked Pondimin or Redux to heart valve disease's. some times refered to as mitral valve prolapse. The FDA stated that in findings from doctors who evaluated patients that took Fenfluramine and Dexfenfluramine, with echocardiograms, that approximately 30 percent of patients who were evaluated had abnormal echocardiograms, even though they had no symptoms. This is a much higher than expected percentage of abnormal test results. Additionally a Mayo Clinic study that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine on August 28, 1997 suggested that as high as one-third of a patient sampling of

73. Columbia Animal Hospital atrioventricular valvular disease, endocardiosis, chronic valvular fibrosis mitralvalve disease, mitral valve degeneration, mitral valve insufficiency. http://www.petshealthrx.com/encycEntry.cfm?ENTRY=25&COLLECTION=EncycIllness

74. Heart Valves, Heart Valve Disease, And Heart Valve Surgery A discussion about heart valves, valve diseases, symptoms, and surgical procedures.Category Health Conditions and diseases Valvular Surgery...... has been used to replace a diseased mitral valve. Following uncomplicated valve surgery,a patient will stay risk patients with multiple disease comorbidities. http://www.texheartsurgeons.com/Valves.htm

Heart Valve Diseases and Heart Valve Surgery Heart valves have key roles in regulating blood flow through the heart, opening and closing in sequence with each heartbeat. These valves act like one-way doors, allowing blood to flow either forward into the next chamber, or out of the heart via one of two main blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart. The valves close to prevent back flow. Heart Valve Functions On the right side of the heart, blood flows through the tricuspid valve, which lies between the right atrium and the right ventricle. On the left side of the heart, the mitral valve controls the blood flow between the left atrium and left ventricle. The pulmonary valve controls flow from the right ventricle into the pulmonary artery , which carries blood to the lungs for oxygenation. On the left side, the aortic valve opens the way for oxygenated blood to pass from the left ventricle into the aorta , the body?s largest artery. Causes of Heart Valve Malfunction Heart valves may become impaired for a variety of reasons. Rheumatic fever, the most common cause of valve malfunction, causes a valve to stiffen over time. This limits the ability of the valve to open and close properly. Some people are born with heart valve abnormalities, which may be corrected at birth or later in life. Other people may acquire valve damage from infection (as with bacterial endocarditis) or other diseases. The results are a tight, rigid valve limiting forward blood flow (called a stenotic valve ), or a valve which does not close properly, permitting back flow (called a

75. Heart Valve Disease What causes heart valve disease? to bacterial infection or inflammation of a valve;excessive floppiness of the leaflets (mitral valve prolapse); enlargement of http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/heartvalvedisease.htm

The UK's leading independent health website Search NetDoctor NetDoctor.co.uk Home News and features News Newsletter Features Encyclopaedia Diseases Medicines Examinations Health centres Cancer Children's health Depression Erectile dysfunction ... All health centres Discussion and support Discussion forums Support groups Services Ask the doctor Find a hospital NetDoctor on call Search Medline ... Text message services Information About NetDoctor Commercial opportunities NetDoctor.com Heart valve disease Reviewed by Dr Neal Uren , consultant cardiologist and Dr Patrick Davey , cardiologist What is heart valve disease? The heart has two halves, a left and a right, each with two chambers - the atrium and the ventricle. Between the chambers are the heart valves which ensure the blood runs only in one direction. There are also heart valves situated between the ventricles and the major arteries - the aorta and pulmonary artery - where they have the same function. The valve (A) ensures that the blood does not flow back into the heart from the arterial side (B) when the heart is relaxing and filing with blood from the venous side (C). Failure in a valve in the left side of the heart - the aortic or the mitral valve - results in left-sided heart failure . This leads to an accumulation of fluids in the lungs, or pulmonary oedema.

76. Degenerative Valve Disease parental cardiac status in Cavalier King Charles spaniels and prevalence and severityof chronic valvular disease in offspring. mitral valve protrusion assessed http://www.vetheart.com/Rev-dvd.htm

Veterinary Heart Institute Reviews of Degenerative Valve Disease Publications Auscultation in mild mitral regurgitation in dogs: observer variation, effects of physical maneuvers, and agreement with color Doppler echocardiography and phonocardiography Epidemiology and inheritance of mitral valve prolapse in Dachshunds Mitral valve reconstruction in a toy-breed dog Relationship between parental cardiac status in Cavalier King Charles spaniels and prevalence and severity of chronic valvular disease in offspring ... Activation of the renin-angiotensin system in dogs with asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic mitral valvular insufficiency

77. BestDoctors.com: Condition Summary: Heart Valve Disease What are the symptoms of heart valve disease? When the valves on the left side ofthe heart are involved (aortic valve and mitral valve), the function of the http://www.bestdoctors.com/en/conditions/h/heartvaldisease/heartvaldisease_02140

Site Map Language English Spanish Select A Language Search Condition Summaries Nicholas T. Kouchoukos, M.D. Articles by Dr. Kouchoukos Heart Valve Disease Heart Valve Disease Nicholas T. Kouchoukos, M.D. Missouri Baptist Medical Center, St. Louis, Missouri What is heart valve disease? The heart has four valves. When the heart muscle contracts, the valves prevent blood from flowing in the reverse direction. Some people are born with a structural abnormality of a heart valve, called a congenital disorder. Some people may have an acquired heart valve disorder, caused by diseases such as rheumatic fever, infection or inflammation, which can damage heart valves and interfere with heart valve function. When heart valves are diseased, two major problems can develop: the valves leak, causing the blood to flow in the reverse direction from normal, or the valves become narrow (stenosis) as scar tissue and calcium deposit on the valve and interfere with the normal forward blood flow. Some valves may develop both stenosis and leakage. Which heart valves are involved?

78. Mid America Heart Institute: Valve Disease of other cardiac valve lesions, such as mitral stenosis or 3. a human valve thathas been frozen or cryo More Information Heart disease Center Health Library. http://www.saint-lukes.org/mahi/html/general/CardiacSpecialties/CardioCare/Valve

SLHS Home About Us For The Media Mid America ... Clinical Browser Search Advanced Search MAHI Home Find A Heart Institute Doctor For Patients ... For Physicians Valve Disease Aortic Stenosis Aortic Regurgitation Mitral Stenosis Mitral Regurgitation ... Valve Surgery The valves in the heart are normally "one-way doors." They allow blood to flow through the heart in one direction and prevent backflow. When a valve has stenosis, it is stiff and does not open fully. This causes the heart to work harder to pump blood. Valve regurgitation or insufficiency means the valve is unable to close. It is no longer a one-way valve. The blood is allowed to flow backwards. Aortic Valve Valve between the left ventricle and the aorta Mitral Valve Valve between the left atrium and left ventricle Tricuspid Valve Valve between the right atrium and right ventricle Pulmonic Valve Valve between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery AORTIC STENOSIS AORTIC REGURGITATION MITRAL STENOSIS MITRAL REGURGITATION TRICUSPID REGURGITATION Tricuspid regurgitation usually does not occur in the absence of either severe right ventricular failure or the presence of other cardiac valve lesions, such as mitral stenosis or regurgitation. Usually tricuspid regurgitation can be fixed with one of several different repair techniques. The symptoms produced by severe tricuspid regurgitation include fatigue, shortness of breath, fluid retention, ankle edema, and abdominal swelling. Untreated tricuspid regurgitation, if severe, can often times lead to liver damage. At the time of surgery, if other valves are being replaced or repaired and there are symptoms of tricuspid regurgitation, the tricuspid valve should be fixed, as well.

79. BBC Health - Features - Heart Valve Disease otherwise healthy people is a condition called mitral valve prolapse, also one ofthe cusps on the valve would flip variation of normal and not a disease at all http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/features/heart_valve.shtml

CATEGORIES TV RADIO COMMUNICATE ... INDEX SEARCH MONDAY 31st March 2003 Text only BBC Homepage Health Homepage Ask the Doctor ... Help Like this page? Send it to a friend! Feature Heart valve disease By Trisha Macnair What is a heart valve? Problems lead to disruption of blood flow Mitral valve prolapse: trendy diagnosis or real problem? ... Treating heart valve problems One of the rites of passage that medical students must go through to earn their white coat is to spend many hours listening down the stethoscope to their patient's heart beating. At first it's little more than a fuzzy strain on the ear but with perseverance you get to recognise all sorts of whistles, clicks and whirs as the heart goes about its pumping job. It's an essential skill because some of those noises spell out disease, especially of the heart valves. One noise, which many people have heard about, is a murmur. This is simply a sound created by the flow of blood. It may be normal (for example after heavy exercise anyone may develop a murmur due to increased blood flow.) Or it may be highly specific for a certain heart valve problem, allowing experts to diagnose defective heart valves after just a quick listen to the heart. I've painted a rather old fashioned scene, because these days not only does the medical school curriculum cover a much more diverse range of skills and approaches to diagnosis, but also one of the main causes of heart valve disease - Rheumatic fever - is very rare now. However, a report at a recent meeting of the

80. Learn About Mitral Valve Prolapse From Plainsense If the diagnosis is mitral valve prolapse, the abnormality can usually be controlledby Things to Do When the Doctor Says It's Heart disease by Frederick http://www.plainsense.com/Health/Heart/prolapse.htm

Search the Web. Type it and go! Related Topics: Abnormal Heartbeat Angina Angiogram Angioplasty ... High Blood Pressure Mitral Valve Prolapse Myocarditis Overweight Pacemakers Pericarditis ... Women at Risk Understanding Mitral Valve Prolapse A common and often symptom-less abnormality in one of the heart valves, mitral valve prolapse may affect as many as one in 10 Americans. People with a mitral valve prolapse can live their whole lives without symptoms, or the abnormality can cause heart palpitations, chest pain, fainting, reduced stamina or unexplained fatigue and periods of weakness. The mitral valve, so named because it resembles a bishop's hat or miter, is located between the upper and lower chambers of the left side of the heart. Ordinarily the mitral valve allows blood to flow from the top to the bottom chamber only. But when there is a prolapse, one of the two leaves of the valve fails to close entirely, allowing some backflow of blood into the top chamber. When a healthcare provider listens to a patient's heart with a stethoscope, the abnormal valve can be detected by a murmur or slight clicking sound, which is why this condition is sometimes called "the click-murmur syndrome. Mitral valve prolapse appears to be hereditary, is more common among women, and frequently occurs in women who also have the skeletal defect called scoliosis or curvature of the spine. Often the prolapse can be detected by stethoscope and an ECG, but a healthcare provider might also order more sophisticated tests like an echocardiogram or a 24-hour Holter heart monitor to pinpoint the diagnosis.

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