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Cardiovascular Disease Prevention (Expert Forum)
heart problems
Answered by
Lee Kirksey, MD - Peripheral Arterial Disease, PAD, Cardiovascular Disease, stroke, treatment, angioplasty, spider veins, laser ablation, wound treatment, surgery, leg pain, Prevention, Varicose veins
Penn Presbyterian Medical Center of the Univ. of Pennsylvania Healthcare Clinical Assistant Professor at The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Philadelphia - PA
Questions in the Cardiovascular Disease Prevention forum are answered by Dr. Lee Kirksey, associate professor at The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
heart problems
by Sherry4504, May 10, 2008 02:35PM
After taking my daughter to the Cardiologist last week he said that she now has a z score of 4.4, I asked about Beta Blockers and they said that they are not firm believers in perscribing them. I am beside myself with worry because my daughters aorta is creeping up to 3.8 and should be 3.1. I also received a letter from the hosptial outlining her condition and this is how it reads: Borderline Mitral valve prolapse, trivial regurgitation and mild aortic dialation. What does all this mean??? what's borderline???
Thanks, Sherry
Thanks, Sherry
Doctor's Answer
by Lee Kirksey, MD, May 10, 2008 07:43PM
, May 10, 2008 07:43PM
To: Sherry4504
Hello
What is the age of your daughter. How long has she been followed for this problem. What size was her aorta previously? What is her heart rate and blood pressure.
These factors among others would influence your doctor's decision about treatment. Beta blockers are controversial with regards to their use in decreaseing the rate of aortic enlargement. Especially when the blood pressure is otherwise normal. Addditionally, all medications have side affects and we have to weigh the risk of those side affects against the potential benefit of the medications. In this case, your doctors did this and thought the uncertainty of any benefit was outweighed by the potential risks of the medication
It sounds like the test may have been a type of ultrasound. Regurgitation is a term that refers to the incomplete closure of a heart valve and blood seeping backward through this incompletely closed valve, when it should move forward. The words that you describe, suggest that there is very, very early evidence of this regurgitation between two chamber on each side of the heart. That is significant that it needs to be followed to evaluate for progression. Borderline suggests that it is right around the top level that the laboratory considers normal.
I would suggest that you sit down with your heart doctor and discuss the results of the test to get a good understanding of the report in its entirety as well as expectations for the problem including management and treatment. I am always happy to do this with patients, because most people feel less anxiety when they understand the problem., Good luck
What is the age of your daughter. How long has she been followed for this problem. What size was her aorta previously? What is her heart rate and blood pressure.
These factors among others would influence your doctor's decision about treatment. Beta blockers are controversial with regards to their use in decreaseing the rate of aortic enlargement. Especially when the blood pressure is otherwise normal. Addditionally, all medications have side affects and we have to weigh the risk of those side affects against the potential benefit of the medications. In this case, your doctors did this and thought the uncertainty of any benefit was outweighed by the potential risks of the medication
It sounds like the test may have been a type of ultrasound. Regurgitation is a term that refers to the incomplete closure of a heart valve and blood seeping backward through this incompletely closed valve, when it should move forward. The words that you describe, suggest that there is very, very early evidence of this regurgitation between two chamber on each side of the heart. That is significant that it needs to be followed to evaluate for progression. Borderline suggests that it is right around the top level that the laboratory considers normal.
I would suggest that you sit down with your heart doctor and discuss the results of the test to get a good understanding of the report in its entirety as well as expectations for the problem including management and treatment. I am always happy to do this with patients, because most people feel less anxiety when they understand the problem., Good luck
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