Jenny Garth, Leaky Heart Valve Diagnosis Revealed
It seems like 2009 could be “The Year Of The Celebrity Heart Valve Patient”.
In February, Barbara Bush had aortic valve replacement. Then, in March, Robin Williams had aortic valve replacement with a bovine valve and a mitral repair. Later that month, Aaron Boone, professional baseball player with the Houston Astros, had aortic valve repair.
Yesterday, we learned that actress Jenny Garth was diagnosed with a leaky heart valve over seven years ago.
“I have a leaky valve,” she explained. “And it’s a common thing. A lot of people have it, They don’t know they have it… [it] leaks blood.”
Jenny Garth’s condition is commonly referred to as valvular regurgitation in the medical community and can effect each of the four heart valves. Certain forms of regurgitation, including mitral regurgitation, impact approximately 2% of the population. Mitral valve prolapse is one of the leading causes of leaking heart valve.
At the current time, Jenny Garth is asymptomatic although the actress, most known for her role as Kelly Taylor on the wildly successful Beverly Hills 90210, produced by Aaron Spelling. Jenny Garth was also one of the contestants on Dancing With The Stars in 2005: Season 5 in 2007.
“I’ve been affected by heart disease practically my whole life,” Garth recently told Access’ Tony Potts at an American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women BetterU Program event. “My father has struggled with heart disease since he was 50, and I lost him a year ago.”
Garth said at times she actually feels it happening. “It’s your connection to your heart… your artery, the main artery that goes to your heart,” she said. “It sort of flutters open and shut sort of a thing, so you… it’s weird because sometimes when I’m resting I can feel a little weird fluttering.”
Though she’s able to currently lead a normal active life, she noted that surgery - heart valve replacement or heart valve repair - may be needed if symptoms arise.
Keep on tickin Jenny!
P.S. To leave a comment, please click here.
About The Author: Adam Pick is a double, heart valve surgery patient and author of The Patient’s Guide To Heart Valve Surgery. This unique book integrates the clinical facts of heart valve surgery with the personal experiences of 78 former valve surgery patients to help patients and caregivers better understand the opportunities and challenges of heart valve surgery. To learn more about Adam and his heart valve surgery book, click here.
- Previous: Farmer and Triathlete, John O’Neill, Shares Inspirational Valve Replacement Story
- Next: At 73, Sylvia Woolworth Was Physically And Mentally Fit For Heart Valve Surgery
Email Friend
Leave Comment
Print
Subscribe
May 27th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
I had minimally invasive aortic valve replacement on March 5th and recovered quickly. However, a follow-up visit with my cardiologist and a repeat echo-cardiogram a couple of weeks ago, indicates that the new tissue valve is leaking. The doctor hears a heart murmur again. I’m scheduled for a TEE (trans-esophageal echo) on June 3rd and then I’ll know whether I need another surgery to fix it. After going through the initial surgery, I was devastated at the prospect of having a second surgery so soon, even though it would also be a minimally invasive procedure. Those days in ICU and on the cardiac floor are really tough to go through.
Has this happened to anyone else who reads Adam’s blog?
Nancy, Fort Myers, FL