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Showing posts with the label Cardiovascular Disorders

Heart Problems and Aging II

Image via Wikipedia A previous article discussed the benefits of mitral valve repair as opposed to mitral valve replacement as solution to mitral valve prolapse. The same post also posited that heart problems are one of the most common health risks in aging. However, mitral valve prolapse isn't the only heart problem one may encounter in maturity. Another type of these heart problems is called arrhythmia, or a form of heart murmur . An Arrythmia is any deviation from or disturbance of the normal heart rhythm and usually is a sign of an existing heart problem. The heart problem may be found in the mitral valve or in any part of the heart. However, a medical solution such as a heart surgery would require a team of specialists with extensive knowledge and experience. Cardiologists and heart surgeons can extend their knowledge through CME Programs . CME means Continuing Medical Education , a type of continuing education helping medical doctors improve their knowledge and skills in t...

Heart Problems and Aging

Image via Wikipedia Aging brings with it many health problems, and one of these is a mitral valve prolapse , or heart murmur . The mitral valve is responsible for stopping blood from flowing back into the lungs when it should be pushed through the aorta and delivered to the rest of the body. When the mitral valve doesn't work, the blood flows back to the lungs which causes shortness of breath and weakening of heart muscle. Undergoing mitral valve surgery will solve the problem. However experts say a mitral valve repair is much better than mitral valve replacement . Repairing the mitral valve has more advantages, such as: A lower mortality at the time of operation (1-2% for repair versus 6-8% for replacement). A significantly lower risk of stroke, and a lower rate of infection. Improved long-term survival with mitral valve repair. Patients who receive a valve repair stay on the same survival curve as the normal population. After mitral valve repair, blood thinners are not requir...