As I suffered from a calcified heart valve prior to surgery, I definitely perked up when I read this email from Cheryl of Ontario, Canada.

Calcified Aortic Valve (Aortic Stenosis)

Cheryl wrote to me, “Hi Adam – I have heard that some patients have been cautioned about the overuse of calcium supplements (including Rolaids) considering potential damage to heart valve leaflets.  As so many patients, especially women, use supplements, I was curious to know your thoughts about calcium supplements. My calcium use was part of my history when I underwent a mitral valve repair and I wasn’t given any warning. What about other antacids such as Tums? Is this a cause of valve failure? Thanks, Cheryl”

Cheryl Irvine, Mitral Valve Repair Patient

After reading Cheryl’s question, I was really curious. That said, I reached out to Dr. Eric Roselli, M.D., one of the Cleveland Clinic’s leading heart valve surgeons.

In discussing this topic with Dr. Roselli, he noted, “Although it is a theoretical concern, there is no direct evidence to support the connection between excess calcium intake and the risk of degenerative aortic stenosis.”

Dr. Eric Roselli, Heart Surgeon, Cleveland Clinic

Specific to Cheryl’s situation, Dr. Roselli noted, “If Cheryl had a mitral valve repair, I suspect she probably had degenerative mitral valve disease (commonly referred as mitral valve prolapse) and there is not even a theoretic concern for her and the use of calcium supplementation. If her primary care doctor believes she should be on calcium or vitamin D supplementation for potential osteoporosis, then – by all means – the history of a mitral valve repair for degenerative disease should not be a contraindication.”

Calcified Mitral Valve

I hope this helped all of us learn more about calcium supplements and heart valve disease.

Keep on tickin!

Since it is the Fourth of July weekend here in the United States, I thought it would be interesting to write a blog that connects the number “4″ to heart valves. That said, here goes nothin’…

In the past, we’ve discussed the unique anatomy of heart valve leaflets – the tissue flaps that open and close in the valve to ensure that blood flows in one direction through the heart. While the aortic, tricuspid and pulmonary valves typically have three leaflets (also known as heart valve flaps), the mitral valve only has two leaflets. Here is a diagram of the human heart valves illustrating this point.

We have also discussed the genetic issues which produce irregular leaflet counts. For example, congenital bicuspid aortic valves have two leaflets which can severely compromise blood flow through the heart. And, we have also learned about extraordinary, patient stories in which heart valves are unicuspid – having only one heart valve leaflet. Remember Shannon’s unicuspid heart valve discovery?

This brings me to my heart valve trivia question of the day. That question is, “Do quadricuspid heart valves – valves with four leaflets – exist?” (To find out the answer, scroll below this image of a quadricuspid heart valve… Hint! Hint!)

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I’ll never forget when I learned my options for a heart valve replacement.

Dr. Trento, the first surgeon I interviewed, briefly discussed the pros and cons of pig valves, cow valves, human donor valves (homografts) and mechanical valves with me. While I immediately understood the use of mechanical valves and homografts for aortic valve replacement, it took me some time to truly understand how pigs and cows provided a suitable alternative for a human heart valve.

Now, however, I am fully aware of the benefits that pig valves (aka porcine valves) and cow valves (aka bovine valves) offer patients requiring heart valve replacement surgery.

That said, I was somewhat surprised to learn that patients might have another biological option to consider in the future. According to a recent report in the Canadian Medical Journal (CMJA), researchers in Quebec will soon begin testing heart valves from harp seals to determine if they are suitable for use in humans.

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Quick trivia for you…

According to The Cleveland Clinic, “How long does it take for blood to circulate through your vascular system?”

A. 2 second
B. 20 seconds
C. 2 minutes
D. 20 minutes
E. 2 hours

To find the answer, scroll down below the beating heart.

The answer is… 20 seconds.

That’s pretty amazing considering the complex network of blood vessels – arteries, veins and capillaries – that carry blood through the body. According to The Cleveland Clinic, that system is over 60,000 miles long. That’s long enough to circle Earth twice!

Keep on tickin!

As you know, I like to search the Internet for anything that might help patients and caregivers better understand their hearts and their heart valves – before, during and after heart valve surgery. On that note, I recently came across a very neat, very interactive heart anatomy chart at YourHeartValve.com.

This chart enables the user to scroll over the different parts of the human heart to learn more about the different structures within the heart and how they function. If you are interested in learning more about the basics of human heart anatomy, please click the image below or this link.

I hope this helps you better understand how the human heart functions!

Keep on tickin!