The University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center just released a rather troubling study about patients who are  diagnosed with mitral regurgitation and do not receive surgical treatment. I guess this is one more reason why second opinions are so valuable. Here are the details:
Overblown fears about (i) surgical risk and (ii) lack of awareness about the [...]

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Okay. It’s time for some good ole’ heart valve trivia.
The question is, “How many people are diagnosed with heart valve disease each year in the United States?”
a. 300,000 people
b. 500,000 people
c. 3,000,000 people
d. 5,000,000 people
e. 30,000,000 people
To see the answer, scroll below the picture of the diseased mitral valve leaflets:

According to a recent, population-based study, [...]

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I just received a great, follow-up question about medical tests used to diagnose heart valve disease from Sophie.
Sophie writes, “Adam – Thanks for the recent blog about cardiac MRIs and echocardiograms. Unfortunately, my aortic regurgitation continues to become more severe. It looks like I’ll need surgery soon. To better diagnose it, I’ve been told I [...]

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Through your stories and my ongoing research, I have learned that properly diagnosing heart valve disease can be tricky. That said, I always encourage patients to get a second opinion prior to any surgical treatment (if possible).
However, Gregg just sent me an interesting question about the use of M.R.I.’s as a diagnostic tool for valvular [...]

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Jimmy just sent me a great question about the use of medications to treat heart valve disease.
He writes, “Adam – On Friday, I was diagnosed with severe regurgitation due to mitral valve prolapse. I’ve been short of breath for sometime but had no idea it was due to a heart valve problem. My cardiologist thinks [...]

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