Correlation Of Heart Murmurs To Heart Valve Problems
Following up on a recently blog about children with heart murmurs, I received an email from Sharon that reads, “Adam - Thanks for your blog about structural versus functional heart murmurs. As a parent, I’m curious to know if you can further help me understand the correlation of heart murmurs to heart valve problems? I’m trying to understand whether my daughter’s murmur (mitral valve prolapse) will eventually lead to some form of valve repair or replacement. Any thoughts? Best, Sharon”
This is an interesting question that I can directly relate too. If you didn’t know, I was incorrectly diagnosed (when I was 5 years old) with a heart murmur due to mitral valve prolapse. I lived the next 28 years with no problems. Then, the problems started and eight weeks later I had aortic and pulmonary valve replacements at USC Medical Center.
Obviously, I am evidence of the correlation of heart murmurs and heart valve problems - specifically a murmur caused by a bicuspid aortic valve. However, when you review the statistics of heart murmurs that lead to heart valve surgery, the correlation is relatively small.
First, consider that there are approximately 100,000 heart valve surgeries in the United States each year. Then, consider that 2% of the US population, or 4 million people, have some form of murmur due to mitral valve prolapse (not including the other forms of valve disorders). If you do the math, you quickly realize that the correlation of heart murmurs that trigger severe heart valve problems and, ultimately, heart valve surgery is tiny.
That said, I strongly encourage all patients diagnosed with a heart murmur to continually monitor and seek ongoing care from a cardiologist. The last thing you want is to let a treatable heart murmur transition into severe valve disease (dilated / enlarged heart) and heart failure.
I hope this helps explain a little more about the correlation between heart murmurs and actual heart valve problems.
Keep on tickin!
Adam Pick is a double, heart valve surgery patient and author of The Patient’s Guide To Heart Valve Surgery, a unique book which integrates the clinical facts of heart valve surgery with the personal experiences of an actual heart valve surgery patient. To learn more about Adam and his heart valve surgery book, click here.
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September 30th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
Hello Adam, My name is Donna. I’m 57 yrs.old and havd an Aortic Valve replacement in 2006. I’ve also had a murmer since birth. I was diagnosed with Endocarditis in June 2006 and had the AVR immediately after the infection was somewhat under control. The damage to my valve was massive. My surgeon said I maybe had hours to live if they had not operated when they did. Before surg. I was told that this valve would last me a very long time and to expect to live to a ripe old age. That made me smile since I’ve felt that I would indeed live for a very long time. After surgery my family was informed that the surgeons were unable to put the larger valve that they intended to use because of such extended damage to the Aortic. The smaller one should do just fine for me but that more than likely I would need another AVR in approx. 10 yrs. Well I figured I could live with that (like I had a choice eh?). Now here is my problem, I’ve been very short of breath with very little exertion (ie: walking up stairs, bending over etc). I saw my Cardiologist yesterday he told me that my valve was deteriorating and has been for some time, since it was too small to begin with. My last echo this past June told him this then yet for some reason he neglected to inform me of this. I’d complained of S.O.B. then but it wasn’t anywhere near as bad as this. Now he’s saying that basically there is not much he can do but bide me some time with adjusting my meds. He’s increased my Lasix from 40mg/daily to 80mg, limiting my water intake to 4 8oz glasses per day, avoiding salt etc, all the usual instructions, including avoiding stairs, and resting as much as possible. He said that I needed to have the valve replaced with the proper size but in all honesty, he felt that I would not make it through the surgery, so hopefully biding me some “time” may make a difference. My blood work done to find out if my S.O.B. was due to cardio or pulm. problems was 720! I don’t remeber the name of the test I’m sorry, but the high normal is 120 if that says anything to you. My Pt. and INRs have been ok. Taking 6mg. warfarin daily and will continue on same doseage. My question is this, can this be my ONLY choice? Thank You. Donna