Mitral Valve Disease Archives - Page 4 of 5

You’ve probably heard the term “statins” before. In case you haven’t, statins are a class of lipid-lowering/cholesterol-lowering medications. They are known to help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, chest pain, strokes, heart attacks, and death in people. For this article, we want to share a general overview of statins and heart disease and if a person should or should not be taking them. Ultimately, this is a conversation to be had with your primary care doctor or cardiologist. Every patient’s situation is different and should be handled differently.

Many studies have shown that statins have been able to keep people alive longer by reducing the risk and number of heart attacks and strokes a person will or may experience. Statins help in preventing the arteries from building plaque and becoming blocked. They inhibit the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase.

If you happen to have many of the risk factors of developing heart disease (and not just solely based on your age), a doctor may recommend this drug to you. The statins help reduce the chance of heart disease by preventing atherosclerosis, which is blocked arteries or narrowed blood vessels.

Like any drug, there are side effects and risks. Some side effects include: muscle aches and cramps, pins and needles feeling, bloating, diarrhea, rashes, stomach pain, cataracts, impaired memory, headaches, liver failure, skeletal muscles and diabetes.

If you suffer from heart disease or are at a high risk, your doctor may put you on a statin regardless of your cholesterol levels. On average if your risk is over 7.5 percent in the next 10 years, the doctor will likely prescribe a statin.

If you are a heart disease patient, it is time to discuss with your doctor if a statin is right for you. If medication is not an option, heart valve surgery may be recommended. Dr. Peter Mikhail of Tampa, Clearwater, and New Port Richey, Florida, performs mitral valve surgery and mini-AVR on patients with mitral valve disease and aortic valve disease. To book an appointment or learn more, click here or call 727-312-4844.

By now, most people know that smoking cigarettes is not good for the body. However, many people associate smoking with only its negative impact on the lungs, teeth, and mouth area. This is far from the truth. Smoking can affect the entire body, including the heart. There are many studies out there that suggest cigarette smoking is a major cause for coronary heart disease, which could ultimately lead to a heart attack. One out of five deaths from heart disease is related to smoking.

When a person is smoking, the combination of smoke and nicotine raises blood pressure, decreases good (HDL) cholesterol, decreases a person’s ability to exercise effectively, and increases the likelihood for a blood clot. Smoking also reduces the amount of oxygen that goes to the heart, increases heart rate, gives the blood a sticky consistency, and harms the blood vessels.

People who smoke and have a family history of heart disease have an even higher chance of developing heart disease themselves. The odds are not in a smoker’s favor. If you are a smoker, your chances of developing heart disease can double or even be quadrupled than if you didn’t. If you’re a woman, your odds are even higher as a smoker (25 percent more likely) to suffer a stroke.

If any one of these facts scares you, you may want to rethink putting that next cigarette in your mouth. Once you quit smoking, your risk for heart disease and stroke is cut down in half just after one year of being smoke free.

If you are diagnosed with heart valve disease, your doctor will recommend several lifestyle changes – quitting smoking will be one of them.

Heart valve disease can turn deadly if it leads to a heart attack or stroke, so it’s in your best interest to practice heart-healthy habits that will keep you healthier longer.

If you currently suffer from heart valve disease and are considering surgery, contact cardiac surgeon Dr. Peter Mikhail in Tampa, Clearwater, and New Port Richey, Florida. Dr. Mikhail specializes in mitral valve surgery and min-AVR, which are minimally invasive surgeries. To learn more about heart valve surgery, click here or call 727-312-4844 to book an appointment with Dr. Mikhail today.

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Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America. Each year, more than 600,000 people die from a form of this disease. Each year, more than 5 million Americans are diagnosed with heart valve disease. But, why? Why do so many people develop heart disease? When it comes to heart disease, there are a number of different risk factors that can lead a person to developing one of the many forms of heart disease. Below, we share with you some of the common risk factors associated with heart valve disease.

Genetics – Heart disease or abnormalities can commonly run in families, especially bicuspid aortic valve disease or mitral valve prolapse.

Age – As we get older, the heart valve ages as well. The flaps (leaflets) in the valves can thicken and harden as they get older which causes a restriction of blood flow. Men over 65 years old and women over 75 years old are at the highest risk for developing heart valve disease.

Heart attack – When a person has a heart attack, this can cause damage to the heart, and affect the function of the valves.

High blood pressure – If a person has perpetual high blood pressure, the heart works harder, so it becomes enlarged. The enlarged heart causes valves to stretch, which can keep the valves from closing correctly.

Cardiomyopathy – If the person has an enlarged heart, not only are the valves stretched, but the tissue ring around them also becomes stretched. If this does occur, leakage in the valves will happen.

Calcium deposits – Calcium deposits can start to build up in the mitral or aortic valves.

Rheumatic fever – Rheumatic fever can damage a person’s heart valves because it causes them to thicken so they no longer open and close properly.

If you fit one or more of these risk factors and are experiencing some symptoms, it may be time for you to contact a doctor. Dr. Peter Mikhail is a cardiac surgeon specializing in mitral valve surgery and mini-AVR. If you’re looking for a cardiac surgeon to perform your heart valve surgery, click here for more information or call 727-312-4844 to book an appointment with Dr. Mikhail.

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Chest Pain. Shortness of breath. Dizziness. If you’re experiencing these symptoms, call your doctor immediately. There could be a chance that you have heart disease. At an appointment with your doctor, he or she will listen to your heart with a stethoscope and make the decision of whether you should be tested for heart disease. Stress tests are one way for doctors to determine if you have heart disease. If you are unable to walk on a treadmill or are on certain medications, the doctor will have you take a nuclear stress test instead of an exercise stress list.

A nuclear stress test will measure blood flow to your heart while at rest, and while your heart works hard from medication administered to you. From this test, a doctor will see images that will determine if you have low blood flow or any damage to the heart muscle itself.

Since you are unable to exercise, a radioactive dye will be administered into your bloodstream. This will speed up your heart rate to mimic exercise. Doctors will also suggest a nuclear stress test if you have coronary artery disease, or if an exercise stress test didn’t explain any of your negative symptoms.

During this test, a camera will see rays emitted from the dye in your body, which will create clear pictures of the heart and its tissue. The doctor will look at images while your heart is at rest, during and after exercise (elevated heart rate from dye). The test could take up to five hours as the blood needs to make its way through your body.

For a nuclear stress test, a patient cannot eat or drink or smoke for two hours prior. A doctor will determine on a case by case basis if you can or cannot take certain medications and consume caffeine before the test. Patients are asked to wear comfortable clothes and shoes. After the test is done, the dye will leave your body through your urine or stool.

The results will determine the doctor’s next course of action. If the results show you have heart valve disease, there is a chance you will have to undergo heart valve surgery. If you’re looking for a cardiac surgeon, Dr. Peter Mikhail performs heart valve surgery, specializing in mitral valve surgery and mini-AVR. To learn more, click the heart valve surgery page. Click here to book an appointment with Dr. Mikhail or call 727-312-4844.

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When one thinks of low testosterone, one usually thinks of low sex drive or sexual dysfunction. However, did you know that low testosterone and heart health are related? They can be. From 1970 to 2013, there were studies conducted on testosterone and causes of coronary artery disease, and a link was found between them.

How can this be? Well, the heart and its blood vessels have testosterone receptor sites within them, which means the hormone and heart work together. With a low testosterone level, a person can develop metabolic syndrome, which is a group of risks factors that can raise the risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke. Such risk factors include: a large waistline, high triglycerides, a low HDL cholesterol level, high blood pressure, and a high-fasting blood sugar level.

A person can generally tell that he or she may have testosterone issues from the following symptoms: libido loss, fatigue, weight gain or loss, and depression. For men 50 and older, testosterone production drops 1 to 2 percent each year.

Studies in the Journal of the American Heart Association concluded that higher levels of testosterone go hand in hand with good heart health. They found that people with low testosterone often have abnormal EKG readings; they also found people with higher levels of this male hormone had a 25 percent less chance of suffering from sudden cardiac arrest. These studies also found that when a man has low levels of testosterone he could also experience: insulin resistance, narrowed carotid arteries, congestive heart failure, higher incidences of angina, a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, extra fat around the mid-section with a high BMI level, type II diabetes, and a high death rate.

If you are over the age of 50 and experiencing any of the above symptoms, it’s best you contact your doctor to get your testosterone level checked. If you currently suffer from heart disease and are looking for a cardiac surgeon, contact Dr. Peter Mikhail, who works in the cities of Tampa, Clearwater, and New Port Richey, Florida. He specializes in mitral valve surgery and mini-AVR. Click here or call 727-312-4844 to book an appointment.

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Whether you have suffered a heart attack or stroke, or have been told by your doctor that you are at an increased risk of heart issues, chances are you have been looking seriously into ways to change your lifestyle. Nothing prompts healthy lifestyle changes like a scare, but we don’t have to wait until we have a heart attack to find out we are at high risk before we take our lives into our own proverbial hands and make some healthy changes for the better.

For most of us, diet and exercise are the two areas where lifestyle and personal change can make a significant difference in our heart health and resulting risk factors. While it might be nice to think that medication alone is all that we need, effort on our part to make better, more healthy choices, is part and parcel to being healthy and to reduce the risk for issues or recurring issues.

Diet is an area where almost all of us fail to meet the recommended goals. For whatever reason, most of us eat a diet rich in fattening, oversized portions of convenience foods that are high in calories and low in nutrition. While we do not have to resort to a life without cheeseburgers, we do have to make changes in what, how much, and how often we eat.

There are some simple rules of thumb for keeping your diet under control and changing your diet in more heart-healthy ways. First and foremost, watch the portion sizes. Most of us are shocked when we look a bit deeper and find out just how small a serving size truly is compared with the amount we serve ourselves. Using smaller plates gives you the illusion of eating more and can really help with portion control. Secondly, watch out for liquid calories. A lot of people don’t realize just how many calories they consume with their daily coffee drinks, soda, wine, beer, and juice. Switching out some of these sugar-laden drinks for water or unsweetened tea is a great heart-healthy choice.

When it comes to eating more heart healthy, there are some general tips that will make all dietary choices a bit easier. If we are mindful of the portion sizes we are eating and work to reducing the amount of food we eat to healthier levels, we can really reduce the amount of fat, calories, and artery-clogging foods we consume. Also, by making more cognizant beverage choices, we can reduce the amount of unnecessary sugar and calories we consume in liquid form. These small changes will reduce the amount of fat, sugar, and junk in our diet, promoting more healthy choices.

If you’re currently suffering from heart valve disease and considering surgery, contact Dr. Peter Mikhail. Dr. Mikhail is a cardiac surgeon based in New Port Richey, Florida. To book an appointment, click here or call 727-312-4844.

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Heart valve surgery is a major life event. If you are planning on this surgery, you are most likely well-versed in the ins and outs of what you’ll be experiencing during pre-operation and post-operation. After the surgery, your focus will be on healing and getting your life back to normal. Whether you were an active person or not before the heart valve surgery, exercise will be crucial to your healing process. Exercise is just one great way to help prevent your heart from having a major issue again.

Exercise is recommended and encouraged after heart valve surgery. Since you’ll be in recovery, there will be more precautions to keep in mind. Your body just went through the major trauma of surgery, so it’s important to ease into exercise to prevent injury or complications.

When you first get home from the hospital after surgery, it is recommended that you slowly increase the amount of activity you do. In the first week, you want to do around 5 minutes of exercise several times throughout the day. As each week passes, you’ll increase the activity time. This type of activity could be just a slow walk around the neighborhood.

As you heal, you will be in contact with your cardiac surgeon; he or she will tell you when you’re cleared for certain types of exercises, including aerobic activities and weight training. If you were active pre-op, your doctor understands your urgency to get back to normal as soon as possible, and will work with you to make sure you are stable (no shortness of breath or heart rhythm issues) before approving you for physical activities.

Every patient is different. The doctor will ask you to take it easy with any exercise you start and will want you to monitor how you feel after each exercise and workout. Make sure to tell the doctor what types of exercise you plan to do. The clearance for weight training may be different from biking or walking, due to the exercise’s effects on the body. It makes no difference to the doctor what type of exercise you choose, as long as you do it safely.

If you’re looking for a cardiac surgeon to perform your mitral valve surgery or mini-AVR, Dr. Peter Mikhail specializes in these surgeries; he is based in New Port Richey, Florida. To learn more, click the Mitral Valve Surgery page or the MINI-AVR page. To book an appointment, click here or call 727-312-4844.

Can stress cause heart disease? Stress isn’t an exact or direct cause for heart disease, per se, but it can be a risk factor. Stress, especially when it is chronic, can cause all sorts of health issues in the body, including issues with the heart.

When a person experiences stress, the body releases the adrenaline hormone as a response. This hormone increases a person’s heart rate, and also raises blood pressure, which puts stress onto the heart. Stress doesn’t cause high blood pressure, but it will raise it when it occurs. With chronic stress, the increase in blood pressure can do damage to the heart’s arteries over time.

Rarely, a person can experience “broken heart syndrome,” which is a temporary condition a person experiences in the heart due to extreme traumatic and stressful situations like a death of a family member or friend. Broken heart syndrome can cause a person to experience chest pain similar to that of a heart attack. The medical term for this syndrome is known as stress cardiomyopathy and it is treatable.

Many people often turn to unhealthy habits to destress themselves. Smoking, drinking alcohol, and eating bad foods are often the go-to choices of people when they’re feeling stressed. Unfortunately, those choices are not good for the heart, especially if they become habits and lead to excessive use and weight gain.

Right now, in the medical field, the consensus is that stress does not directly lead to heart disease, but it can lead a person down certain paths and behaviors that can increase the risks of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart attacks and strokes.

The best thing a person can do is manage their daily stress as best as possible through different practices. Exercise is a great stress reliever for many people, and it is also heart-healthy. Other ways to reduce stress include: talking to a mental-health professional, reading a book, relaxing by a pool, watching a movie, practicing meditation, taking a yoga class, taking a bath, eating healthy, talking to a friend, getting a massage, or participating in a favorite hobby.

If you currently suffer from heart disease, managing your stress is still important to keeping your heart as healthy and strong as possible. Looking for a cardiac surgeon to assess your condition? Dr. Peter Mikhail is a cardiac surgeon based in New Port Richey, Florida. He performs mitral valve surgery and mini-AVR on patients with mitral valve disease and aortic valve disease. To book an appointment, click here or call (727) 312-4844.

Although minimally invasive, mitral valve surgery or mini-AVR are major procedures that are taxing on the body. With any type of surgery, the recovery period is important. After valve surgery, a patient will spend several days in the hospital while the doctor and nurses monitor recovery and pain. After 4 to 6 weeks post-op, your doctor will schedule a follow up appointment to check in on your recovery. For this post, we want to share some thoughts and tips about recovery from heart valve surgery. Recovery is different for each patient, but there are many things to follow and take note of that will help you recover faster and better.

Listen to your doctor, and follow the recovery instructions given to you at the hospital.
- Questions to ask your doctor about your recovery
  - Am I able to lift things on my own? How heavy?
  - When can I drive a car?
  - When can I go back to work?
  - Should I be exercising? What can I do or not do?
  - What medications will I be taking or should stop taking?
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help or accept someone’s offer to help you. Whether it’s making food or running an errand, a family member or friend can help you do daily tasks while you get as much rest as you can.
- Eat a healthy diet full of variety. Fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, lean meats, fish and whole grains are recommended. Your doctor will recommend the best diet plan for you to follow.
- Take note: there are some things you may not be able to do easily right after heart valve surgery, including: tying your shoes, climbing stairs, cooking, raising your arms above your head, sitting up on your own, or cleaning.
- You may hear your new heart valve as it opens and closes.

If you have been diagnosed with mitral valve disease or aortic valve disease, meet with Dr. Peter Mikhail to discuss your surgical options. Dr. Mikhail is a cardiac surgeon in New Port Richey, Florida, specializing in mitral valve surgery and mini-AVR. To book a consult and for more information, click here or call 727-312-4844.

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You’ve probably heard and read a thousand times about the best diets or foods to eat to be heart healthy; however, do you know the foods it’s best for you to avoid? Nutrition is an extremely important aspect to focus on when currently living with heart disease. Food can either act like a medicine or a poison based on your choices. You want to stay as healthy as possible while living with this disease before treatment, during treatment, and after treatment.

When your heart isn’t functioning at its best, it’s best to stay clear of certain foods to remain as healthy as possible. Below are some foods you should think about limiting or avoiding if you’re currently suffering from heart disease.

Highly Processed/Refined Grains and Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are great for your body; they supply the body with energy; however, when a carbohydrate is processed or refined, it loses most of its health benefits (fiber, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals). Processed foods usually come with added ingredients like sodium and trans fats. Some examples include: white bread, white rice, instant oatmeal, and some cereals.

Processed/Refined Sugars

Sugar, in moderation, won’t harm you, but if you consume enough of it, it can harm your heart by raising blood pressure and triglycerides. High dosages of sugar can be found in soda, some cereals, candy, baked goods, canned foods, and juice.

Certain Fats

Trans fats and saturated fats are not the “good” kind of fat. These types of fat can raise bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol and contribute to clogged arteries. Foods known for their high trans fats and saturated fats include: fried food, margarine, doughnuts, biscuits, cakes, and pies.

High Sodium

Your body needs sodium. It helps keep your blood pressure in check, as well as maintain proper fluid levels in the body. If you consume too much sodium, your kidneys cannot process it all so the remaining sodium can elevate your blood pressure. Too much sodium can put a person at risk for heart failure, a heart attack, kidney failure or a stroke. Foods with high sodium include: canned soups, processed meats, fast food, salted nuts, canned vegetables, frozen meals.

Overall, it’s best to practice moderation in all things, especially in your diet if you are currently suffering from heart disease. One slice of pie at the holidays won’t harm you, but it’s best to avoid the above-mentioned foods with your heart in a fragile state.

If you’re in need of a great surgeon to perform mitral valve surgery or mini-AVR, Dr. Peter Mikhail is a cardiac surgeon in New Port Richey, Florida, who specializes in these surgeries. To book a consult or for more information, click here or call 727-312-4844.

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MITRAL VALVE BLOG

Using Statins with Heart Disease

Smoking and Its Connection to Heart Disease

What Are the Risk Factors of Heart Disease?

What is a Nuclear Stress Test?

Low Testosterone and Its Relation to Heart Disease

Easy Dietary Changes for Heart Health

Exercising After Heart Valve Surgery

The Relation of Stress to Heart Disease

Tips to Recover Faster After Heart Valve Surgery

Foods to Avoid When You Have Heart Disease

Time in the Sauna Can Benefit the Heart

Aortic Stenosis 101

What is Structural Heart Disease?

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