Monthly Archives: September 2014

If you’ve been told that you have mitral valve prolapse (also commonly referred to as “MVP”), there is no need to panic. In most cases MVP is not a serious heart condition and does not require any type of medical intervention. In rare cases, MVP can result in mitral valve regurgitation – which may or may not require treatment. But if you have been told that you have MVP, there is no need to panic.

The mitral valve controls the flow of blood through your heart. When your heart beats, the mitral valve opens and closes – allowing blood to flow from the upper chamber of your heart to the lower chamber. The valve is designed to open only in one direction. However, when you have mitral valve prolapse, the valve does not close as smoothly as it does when there is no prolapse. Instead, the valve bulges a little bit every time it shuts.

MVP is not a serious heart condition in the majority of people who have it. If your doctor suspects anything abnormal about your MVP, he or she will likely monitor you for an extended period of time to determine if the condition is becoming problematic, or if it is causing your heart to work harder than normal, thus potentially causing damage.

Who Has this Condition?
Many people have MVP. In fact, it’s an extremely common problem associated with this specific heart valve. But there is very little reason to worry because most people with MVP lead a normal life and do not have to adjust their lifestyle, eating habits, or exercise routines whatsoever. MVP can be found in both men and women, and it is more prevalent in people whose family members also have the condition.

How Will I Know if I Have Mitral Valve Prolapse?
It’s entirely possible that you will not know if you have MVP unless a doctor happens to discover it while listening to your heart with a stethoscope during a regular check-up. In some cases, individuals with MVP have described their condition as feeling like their heart sometimes palpitates or pounds too hard or too fast.

I Have MVP – Now What?
In most circumstances, MVP does not require any type of treatment. If you have been told that you have MVP, it is important to remember that it rarely develops into a serious condition. Nonetheless, if you have been diagnosed with MVP and are concerned, you should schedule an appointment with a cardiologist so your MVP can be evaluated and so that you can rest assured that your condition is not life-threatening. In most cases, an electrocardiogram or an echocardiogram will be ordered and the results will indicate whether you require any type of treatment or further monitoring of your MVP.

The post What is Mitral Valve Prolapse, and Is it Dangerous? appeared first on Boone Heart Institute | Preventive Cardiology | Denver, Colorado.

Even if you don’t completely understand the concept of “free radicals” – it’s easy to understand that you don’t want them. In basic terms, free radicals can be described as “a chemically unstable molecule in a cell that has an unpaired electron, rendering it highly reactive.” Why are free radicals not good for your body? In many cases, free radicals attack the DNA cells in your body, which cause the otherwise normal cells to not function properly.

How Do Free Radicals Get Into Our Bodies?
There are many theories about free radicals and how they make their way into the body. Many believe that free radicals exist as a part of the normal aging process. However, an increase in free radicals can be a result of eating unhealthy foods, not exercising regularly, living in a highly polluted environment, being exposed to chemicals and radiation, and a host of other factors. Unfortunately, too many free radicals in the body can lead to many different types of health problems, some of which include heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and other debilitating ailments.

Can We Eliminate Free Radicals?
No matter how healthy your lifestyle and eating habits, there may not be a way to completely eliminate free radicals from your body – especially the free radicals that are present due to the normal aging process. While the human body does have a natural defense mechanism, called antioxidants, to combat free radicals, it is virtually impossible for humans to naturally eliminate all of the body’s free radicals without antioxidant supplements.

Supplemental Antioxidants
There are many supplemental antioxidants on the market that can help your body maintain its health. An example of a highly regarded Antioxidant supplement is Multimmunity, which has a patented formula that is based on ground breaking antioxidant science. However, there are many antioxidant supplements from which to choose, so make sure to discuss antioxidant supplements with your physician before starting any program.

Foods Rich in Antioxidants
The benefits of eating foods rich in antioxidants is tremendous. Following are examples of foods that are recommended to boost the body’s natural antioxidant level:

Small red beans (dried), wild blueberries, red kidney beans (dried), pinto beans, blueberries (cultivated), cranberries, artichoke (cooked), blackberries, prunes, raspberries, strawberries, red delicious apples, granny smith apples, pecans, sweet cherries, black plums, russet potatoes (cooked), black beans (dried), plums, gala apples.

Protect Your Heart With Antioxidant Supplements
If antioxidant supplements are known to help prevent the onset and/or progression of cardiovascular diseases, it makes sense to learn more about them. Make sure to discuss the many benefits of antioxidant supplements with your physician at your next appointment. Taking supplements might be the best way to encourage your body to fight the free radicals that exist in your body.

The post An Explanation of Free Radicals and How Antioxidant Supplements Can Help appeared first on Boone Heart Institute | Preventive Cardiology | Denver, Colorado.