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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
tricuspid regurgitation and anginia
This forum is for questions and support regarding heart issues such as: Angina, Angioplasty, Arrhythmia, Bypass Surgery, Cardiomyopathy, Coronary Artery Disease, Defibrillator, Heart Attack, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Mitral Valve Prolapse, Pacemaker, PAD, Stenosis, Stress Tests.
tricuspid regurgitation and anginia
by Constance-Kelum, Jan 10, 1999 12:00AM
Three weeks ago I went to my doctor complaining of frequent nausea and epigastric discomfort. He asked if I had any chest pain and I said yes but it was from the fractured clavicle and ribs from 9 years ago. As I am 53 years old he said we should rule out heart disease first. I have high cholesterol and am on provacol and high blood pressure for which I take plendil. Also I have started taking premarin last year.
An EKG showed ST segment changes and he ordered a stress echocardiogram.
Those results showed moderately severe tricuspid regurgitation with a mild elevation of the pulmonary artery systolic pressure wht the peak pulmonary artery systolic pressure of 37mmHg.
The stress test was positive electrocardiographically for myocardial ischemia with greater than 1mm ST segment depression.
I was started on Imdur while I am waiting to get into a cardiologist. It is causing severe headaches!
What are the physical implications for me and what can I expect the follow-up coarse to be?
Thank you
Connie
Doctor's Answer
by CCF Cardio MD - MTR, Jan 10, 1999 12:00AM
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Dear Connie, thank you for your question. For the issue of chest pain and myocardial ischemia, a cardiologist will probably recommend a heart catheterization. This procedure involves inserting catheters into the femoral artery in the groin to access the coronary arteries. Contrast dye is injected into the coronary arteries to opacify them on an xray screen. Blockages in the coronary arteries are identified in this manner, and appropriate treatments are determined. With high blood pressure and high cholesterol, you have a moderate risk of having significant blockages. Nonetheless, you should also take one aspirin per day since aspirin helps to inhibit platelet function and prevent heart attacks. I'm not sure what is causing your tricuspid regurgitation (TR). However, during the heart catheterization, the pressures in the right side of the heart can be measured to better determine the nature of this problem. Until these further tests are done, I can't comment on the physical implications of these problems for you. However, until you see a cardiologist, you should limit yourself to only light exertion.
I hope you find this information useful. Information provided in the heart forum is for general purposes only. Only your physician can provide specific diagnoses and therapies. Please feel free to write back with additional questions. Good luck!
If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart
Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.
