Echo Results

[bcmsmom]

I have recently been diagnosed with Mitral Valve prolapse (confirmed finally by the 7th cardiologist) and mitral valve regurgitation.  Do I need to worry about either of these conditions?

[Smiley2000]

Hi there,

I agree with ED34 to not do exercise until you have seen your Cardio.

You chould benefit from beta-blockers/calcium blockers to get your heart rhythm normal.  The irregular heartbeats that you feel are most likely PAC's or PVC's and it is a very common finding on an ECG or even just feeling your own pulse - and it nothing to be worried about but that alone can make you anxious and bring the panic attacks on.

Please read up on MVP or Barlow's Syndrome.  It is a benign condition and very seldom needs surgical intervention and normally either stays the same - like ED34 said, or even IMPROVES with the aging process.  Symptoms can be controlled with beta-blockers and heart function and valve regurg checked annually.

All the best and talk to us if you need any more reassurance.

[ed34]

I wouldn't do any exercises until you see the cardiologist. I'm sure you will be fine.  

[s76]

I didn t see a cardiologist yet but I did have episodes of severe panic attacks leads to low pulse and I had to breath with oxygen until I got better at the Er. Now it's different because it starts with irregular heartbeats and chest pain then remain for an hour at least also I am very active im 36 f, since that feelings i got i feel short of breath and heavy head with fatigue and can't move at all until I pass it.
Is there anything i should avoid until I see the doc? Im so down and I feel Im going to die at anytime it happens to me.thanks for your help.

[ed34]

EF is the ejection fraction. It's how much of the blood in your ventricles is pushed out with each heart beat and calculated as a percentage. Normal is anywhere between 50 and 75%.
High Pulmonary artery pressure means that the blood in the arteries which goes through the lungs (performed by the right side of the heart) is higher than average. It could be a problem with the Lungs, infection or disease. It could be blockages in the arteries. It could be that you are physically fit and have a higher than average stroke volume. It certainly does come across that you are fit with an EF of 63%. Another thing to take into consideration is that the best test to evaluate the pressure in the pulmonary system is via a catheterization. They usually get you to lay in the theatre and keep lifting saline bags or something similar while they establish the reading under load. There are simple tests to see if blockages are likely, and I would enquire if they feel it necessary to have some lung function tests. Yes it can be very serious, fatal, but that is when it's severe and heart failure has developed. You are not in this situation though and I wouldn't be surprised if they pass this off with the aim for a repeat test in a few months.
Mild mitral valve regurgitation, again not serious, but requires monitoring at regular intervals to ensure it hasn't worsened.

[s76]

My EF is 63% what does it mean and i have the mild mitral regurgitation and mild elevation of pulmonary artery pressure.
Is that serious ?

[kenkeith]

Mild, slight, etc. regurgitation is not considered medically signficant.  I have medium to severe regurgitation for years, and so do a few other members without any serious consequences, however, at this point one begins to seriously consider intervention.  Mild regurgitation seldom advances, and it is not an usual condition.

Mitral valve prolapse would be the underlying cause for regurgation (leakage of blood back into the upper chamber rather than pumped into circulation.  Based on your report there isn't anything to be concerned over.

[ed34]

Thank you for the extra information, and believe it or not, the word 'mild' makes a huge amount of difference. Millions of people are living normal lives with mild regurgitation and they may simply ask you to have an echo test every six months or every year to ensure it doesn't worsen. Very rarely, mild regurgitation requires medication but in most cases no intervention is required. So many people have mild regurgitation that you could almost class it as normal. I would be surprised if your symptoms are related to your Mitral valve.

[bcmsmom]

The only thing I was told was that the reguritation was "mild." They never said anything about the other items you listed.  As for symptoms, the only thing I ever experienced over the years was a butterfly sensation in my chest and when I am exhausted I get heart palpitations, dizziness, and extreme tiredness. I did have one episode of severe chest pain, shortness of breath, pain up to jaw and neck but was told it was an esophigial spasm since they couldn't find anything else.

[ed34]

A response to your question would be a very wild guess at best without more details. Things such as is it stated as mild? moderate? severe?  What is your EF%?
Is your left atrium or ventricle dilated? is there high pressure in the right side of your heart? What symptoms do you have?