Cardiology follow up

This forum is intended for international users to help them with the treatment of cardiomyopathy or heart failure.
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Geoff
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Cardiology follow up

Bericht door Geoff » ma sep 10, 2007 4:46 am

Corrij and Willie,

I thank you for your interest in my cardio condition. I recently sought the second opinion of a cardiologist. He reviewed all of my tests to date: Echo (Sept 06), Stress Test (Nov 06), and Echo (May 07). His assessment was that since my EJF was 61 on the Nov 06 stress test, and left ventricle was not dilated in Echo in May 07, my condition was more of a transient one, and he diagnosed it as myocarditis and not so much a chronic type cardiomyopathy.

However, all the tests did show a mild to moderate aortic insufficiency, and trace mitral valve prolapse, possibly secondary to the myocarditis.

I am still taking all of the supplements you recommend in your protocol.
He has advised to continue the Coreg and Cozaar.

What are your thoughts/assessments on how I should proceed with the supplement protocol?

I hope I have not been too confusing, and I really appreciate all that you have done!!!

Geoff
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Geoff

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Bericht door Corrij (therapeut) » ma sep 10, 2007 5:41 pm

Hi Geoff,

First of all you have to follow a diet,

Treatment of Mitral Valve Prolapse
Treatment of MVP consists of several different therapies, all of which are important. To successfully relieve MVP symptoms all these therapies may be important.

Diet: It is very important that MVP patients eat a nutritionally complete, well balanced diet. Inadequate diets can worsen MVP patients' low energy levels. Caffeine is a stimulant drug found in many drinks (such as coffee, tea, and colas) and some foods (such as chocolate). Caffeine tends to stimulate the autonomic nervous system and worsen symptoms.



MVP patients should work toward the reduction of sugar in the diet. A surge in blood sugar for MVP patients stimulates the autonomic nervous system and may make symptoms worse. MVP patients should have a mid-afternoon high-protein snack, such as cheese or peanut butter crackers, instead of sugary food.

When MVP patients need to lose weight, fad and crash diets should be avoided. "Diet pills" must be absolutely avoided as these worsen MVP. MVP patients who need to lose weight should discuss their diet plan with their doctors.

Fluids: Adequate fluid intake is also very important for MVP patients. Many symptoms of MVP (such as dizziness, weakness, light-headedness, etc.) are due to low blood pressure and low blood volume that can be helped through drinking adequate amounts of water. Most MVP patients should drink a minimum of 64 ounces of water or non-caffeinated beverages per day.

Exercise: Patients with MVP often need to improve physical fitness. Regular exercise is necessary to improve fitness and reduce MVP symptoms. Exercise should be aerobic, such as walking, running, bicycling, swimming, etc., and should be discussed in advance with a physician.

Medication: Medication may be required to improve symptoms of MVP. Patients must take any medication as directed. Be patient! It often requires two or more weeks of medication before patients notice any change in MVP symptoms. No patient should stop taking or change the amount of his or her medication without first consulting a physician.

You can take a higher amount of Q10,


Usefulness of coenzyme Q10 in clinical cardiology: a long-term study
Langsjoen H; Langsjoen P; Langsjoen P; Willis R; Folkers K
University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston 77551, USA.
Mol Aspects Med (ENGLAND) 1994, 15 Suppl ps165-75

Over an eight year period (1985-1993), we treated 424 patient with various forms of cardiovascular disease by adding coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) to their medical regimens. Doses of CoQ10 ranged from 75 to 600 mg/day by mouth (average 242 mg). Treatment was primarily guided by the patient's clinical response. In was instances, CoQ10 levels were employed with the aim of producing a whole blood level greater than or equal to 2.10 micrograms/ml (average 2.92 micrograms/ml, n = 297).

Patients were followed for an average of 17.8 months, with a total accumulation of 632 patient years. Eleven patients were omitted from this study: 10 due to noncompliance and one who experienced nausea. Eighteen deaths occurred during the study period with 10 attributable to cardiac causes.

Patients were divided into six diagnostic categories ischemic cardiomyopathy (IMC) dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) primary diastolic dysfunction (PDD) hypertension (HTN), mitral valve prolapse (MVP) and valvular heart disease (VHD) For the entire group and for each diagnostic category we evaluated clinical response according to the New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional scale, and found significant improvement of 424 patients, 58 per cent improved by one NYHA class, 28% by two classes and 1.2% by three classes.

A statistically significant improvement in myocardial function was documented using the following echo cardiographic parameters: left ventricular wall thickness, mitral valve inflow slope and fractional shortening Before treatment with CoQ10, most patients were taking from one to five cardiac medications.

During this study overall medication requirements dropped considerably: 436 stopped between one and three drugs. Only 6% of the patients required the addition of one drug. No apparent side effects from CoQ10 treatment were noted other than a single case of transient nausea In conclusion, CoQ10 is a safe and effective adjunctive treatment for a broad range of cardiovascular diseases, producing gratifying clinical responses while easing the medical and financial burden of multi drug therapy.

I will look further, and will ask Willy for some more suggestions,

greetings,
Corrij
Those who do not have enough time for good health,
will not have good health for enough time.

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Bericht door Corrij (therapeut) » ma sep 10, 2007 9:02 pm

Hi Geoff,

Do you have mitral regurgitation?

greetings,
Corrij
Those who do not have enough time for good health,
will not have good health for enough time.

Geoff
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Bericht door Geoff » di sep 11, 2007 12:20 am

Corrij,

I believe prolapse indicates regurgitation. However, it is slight, I believe the aortic regurgitation is more significant.

Geoff
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Geoff

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Bericht door Corrij (therapeut) » di sep 11, 2007 10:12 am

Hi Geoff,

No that isn`t so, a lot off people with mitral valve prolapse is common and the vast majority of people who have it never develop severe regurgitation.

What did your cardiologist suggest?
No medication can eliminate aortic valve regurgitation. However, your doctor may prescribe certain medications to reduce the degree of aortic valve regurgitation, control blood pressure and try to prevent fluid buildup. If you have aortic valve regurgitation, your doctor may recommend that you take antibiotics before certain dental or medical procedures to prevent the heart infection endocarditis.

Surgery
Once signs and symptoms of aortic valve regurgitation develop, you'll usually need surgery. However, if aortic valve regurgitation is weakening your heart, you may need surgery even if you feel well. While the heart is generally adept at counteracting deficiencies caused by a leaky aortic valve, the problem is that if the valve isn't fixed or replaced in time, the strength of your heart may decline so much that it's permanently weakened. You can avoid that by having surgery at the appropriate time.

The overall function of your heart and the amount of regurgitation help to determine when surgery is necessary. Surgical procedures include:

Valve repair. Aortic valve repair is surgery to preserve the valve and to improve its function. Occasionally, surgeons can modify the original valve (valvuloplasty) to eliminate backward blood flow. You don't need long-term anticoagulation therapy after a valvuloplasty.
Valve replacement. In many cases, the aortic valve has to be replaced to correct aortic valve regurgitation. In valve replacement surgery, the leaky aortic valve is replaced by an artificial (prosthetic) valve. The two types of artificial valves are mechanical and tissue. Mechanical valves are made from metal and are durable, but they carry the risk of blood clots forming on or near the valve. If you have a mechanical valve, you need to use anticoagulant medication for life to prevent blood clots from forming on the valve. Tissue valves generally come from a pig, cow or human-cadaver donor heart. These kinds of valves wear out over time, and you may need another operation to replace the valve. However, an advantage of the tissue valve is that you don't have to use long-term anticoagulation medication. Another type of tissue valve replacement, called an autograft is sometimes possible. An autograft valve replacement uses your own pulmonary valve — another heart valve — to replace your damaged aortic valve.
Aortic valve surgery usually involves open-heart surgery performed with general anesthesia. Your heart is exposed and connected to a heart-lung machine that assumes your breathing and blood circulation during the procedure. Your surgeon then repairs or replaces your leaky aortic valve.

Aortic valve regurgitation can be eliminated with surgery, and you can usually resume normal activities within a few months. The prognosis following surgery is generally good.









Your heart, which is the center of your circulatory system, consists of four chambers. The two upper chambers, the atria, receive blood. The two lower chambers, the ventricles, pump blood.

Blood flows through your heart's chambers, aided by four heart valves. These valves open and close allowing blood to flow in only one direction through your heart. The four heart valves are:

Tricuspid valve
Pulmonary valve
Mitral valve
Aortic valve
The mitral valve, which lies between the two left chambers of your heart, consists of two triangular-shaped flaps of tissue called leaflets. The leaflets of the mitral valve connect to the heart muscle through a ring called the annulus. Anchoring the mitral valve to the left ventricle are tendon-like cords, resembling the strings of a parachute, called chordae tendineae cordis.

Heart valves open like a trapdoor. The leaflets of the mitral valve open when the left atrium contracts, forcing blood through the leaflets and into the left ventricle. When the left atrium relaxes between heart contractions, the flaps shut to prevent blood that has just passed into the left ventricle from flowing backward, in the wrong direction.

When working properly, heart valves open and close fully. In mitral valve regurgitation, the mitral valve doesn't close tightly. So, with each heartbeat, some blood from the left ventricle flows backward into the left atrium, instead of forward into the aorta. Regurgitation refers to this backflow of blood through the heart valve.

Numerous causes
Any condition that damages a valve can cause regurgitation. Mitral valve regurgitation has several causes, including:

Mitral valve prolapse. Mitral valve prolapse is a condition in which the leaflets and supporting cords of the mitral valve weaken. The result is that with each contraction of the left ventricle, the valve leaflets bulge (prolapse) up into the left atrium. This common heart defect may prevent the mitral valve from closing tightly and lead to regurgitation. However, mitral valve prolapse is common and the vast majority of people who have it never develop severe regurgitation.


Aortic valve regurgitation — or aortic regurgitation — is a condition that occurs when your heart's aortic valve doesn't close tightly. Aortic valve regurgitation allows blood that was just pumped out of your heart to leak back into it.

The leakage of blood may prevent your heart from efficiently pumping blood out to the rest of your body. If your heart isn't working efficiently, you may feel fatigued and short of breath.

Aortic valve regurgitation can develop suddenly or over decades. It has a variety of causes, such as rheumatic fever. Once aortic valve regurgitation becomes severe, surgery is usually required to repair or replace the aortic valve.

Aortic valve regurgitation is also called aortic insufficiency or aortic incompetence.


Do you have any of these signs?

Shortness of breath, especially with exertion or when you lie down
Fatigue, especially during times of increased activity
Cough, especially at night or when lying down
Heart palpitations — sensations of a rapid, fluttering heartbeat
Swollen feet or ankles
Heart murmur
Excessive urination


greetings,
Corrij
Those who do not have enough time for good health,
will not have good health for enough time.

Geoff
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Berichten: 25
Lid geworden op: zo okt 29, 2006 12:12 pm

Bericht door Geoff » di sep 11, 2007 1:08 pm

Corrij,

Thank you for all the information. I will add to it what my doctor has indicated: aortic insufficiency-mild to moderate, grossly normal appearing mitral valve with trace mitral valve regurgitation. My left ventricle is now normal in size, and my ejection fraction is minimum of 45-55 as indicated in echo in May or up to 61 as indicated by stress test in November last.

I have no symptoms whatsoever, and I maintain a high exercise level very frequently.

As far as valve replacement, the cardiologist says that may be an option if symptoms appear. His hope is to maintain the valve I have for 20-30 years.

Thanks,
Geoff
Regeards

Geoff

Geoff
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Heart murmur

Bericht door Geoff » di sep 11, 2007 1:18 pm

Corrij,

All of my heart conditions were found as a result of an echo recommended for a heart murmur--of the aortic valve.

I have had a heart murmur for many years.

Geoff
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Geoff

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Bericht door Corrij (therapeut) » di sep 11, 2007 3:06 pm

Hi Geoff,

I think youre cardiologist is right, I found a article and you can added some of their suggestions,

VALVULAR DISEASE

Heart valves are control devices that route blood in a forward motion around the circulatory system with each beat of the heart and prevent its backflow. The heart valves can be damaged by inherited defects, infection, rheumatic fever, injuries, tumors, or calcification. The deterioration of certain valves such as the mitral, tricuspid, and aortic pose a more serious health concern than others. Treatment will depend upon the valve involved and the seriousness of the condition. Surgery may be required to repair leaks, inflate narrowed valves (stenosis), or replace faulty valves. Acute aortic regurgitation can result in critically low cardiac output and is a medical emergency.

Drugs to treat valvular disease relieve symptoms and prevent complications rather than provide a cure. Often prescribed medications include beta-blockers for palpitations and chest pain, digitalis to slow the heartbeat, diuretics to prevent salt and water retention, and ACE inhibitors to lower blood pressure and help ease the workload of the heart. In addition, certain herbs and supplements contain similar properties that may be of benefit to people with valvular disorders.

Angelica, 15 to 30 drop, 1 to 3 times a day.
Bromelain, 500 to 1000 mg between meals.
CoQ10, 100 to 400 mg a day in divided doses throughout the day. (Higher doses require a physician’s supervision.)
Garlic, 1 to 2 1000-mg Kyolic caplets twice daily with meals, or 2 to 8 900-mg Pure-Gar capsules daily with meals.
Ginkgo biloba, 120 to 240 mg daily.
Ginger extract, 1-2 300-mg capsules 1 to 3 times daily.
Grape seed-skin extract (proanthocyanidins), 1 to 2 100-mg capsules daily.
Green tea extract (decaffeinated), 600 to 1200 mg daily.
Hawthorn, 250 to 900 mg daily.
Magnesium, 500 to 1500 mg a day bound to gluconate, oxide, citrate, aspartate, glycinate, taurinate, arginate, or ascorbate.
Olive leaf extract, 1 to 2 500-mg capsules 3 times daily with meals.
Taurine, 1500 to 4000 mg daily.
Vitamin C, 6 grams daily in divided doses. (If loose stools occur, reduce dosage to a nonproblematic level.)
Vitamin E, 400-1200 IU a day in divided doses.

If you give me youre list of supplements we can have a look at it and change the dosage of some of them and added some new ones.oke?

greetings,
Corrij
Those who do not have enough time for good health,
will not have good health for enough time.

Corrij (therapeut)
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Lid geworden op: do mei 19, 2005 10:46 pm
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Bericht door Corrij (therapeut) » wo okt 17, 2007 12:47 pm

Hi Geoff,

Can you give me a little update?
I am still waiting for your list with supplements,

greetings,
Corrij
Those who do not have enough time for good health,
will not have good health for enough time.

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