Mitral Valve Disease
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Hello, my father is 68-year-old. Recently, he was seen by a cardiologist at the recommendation of his primary care physician, and after undergoing an electrocardiogram and an evaluation, he was told that he has mild mitral valve regurgitation. His doctor did not initiate any new drugs to treat this disorder, and he is not completely sure what self-care measures are necessary for this condition. Now he is looking for advice on what lifestyle modifications, if any, he should consider making. He is a cigarette smoker and has a history of hypertension and hyperlipidemia, managed on a combination of amlodipine, valsartan, hydrochlorothiazide, and atorvastatin. Please provide information regarding self-care and nonpharmacologic approaches to manage this condition.
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@Anup Mitral valve regurgitation, characterized by the backflow of blood through the mitral valve with each ventricular contraction, represents a common chronic cardiac condition. There are many interventions that your father can consider implementing to ensure optimal health, despite this new diagnosis. First and foremost, inquiring about his smoking history and identifying whether he has considered quitting represent an important intervention for ensuring optimal cardiac health. Smoking not only increases his risk of heart attack and stroke but may also worsen his mitral valve disease. Numerous OTC and prescription smoking cessation options exist. Beyond smoking cessation, educate him about the importance of a healthy diet, including consideration of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet, for optimizing blood pressure (BP) control and heart health, along with routine exercise and physical activity for managing his heart function, with the permission of his cardiologist. Although he was not prescribed a medication specifically to treat his valve disease, reminding him about the importance of compliance with his antihypertensive medications is critical to controlling his BP and reducing the complications of heart disease. Finally, although it is reasonable to encourage him to share a complete health history with all medical care providers, such as his dentist, it is important to recognize that antibiotic prophylaxis prior to dental procedures is no longer indicated in patients with mitral valve regurgitation
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Moved from Heart Condition by R rean_forum_admin