mitral valve regurgitation and AF

[Mumthree]

Hello . I was diagnosed with mild to moderate MVR last November . No symptoms other than slight breathlessness . Yesterday on another echocardiogram I was informed I have AF - no symptoms at all . It has made me very anxious . Has anyone else experience of both ? I am 57 , very very fit , not overweight at all . Many thanks

[BobD Volunteer]

This would be termed valvular atrial fibrillation. Back pressure from the leaking valve can cause stretching of the atrium which in turn can create rogue pathways and AF. Not uncommon and I suspect normal treatment programme.

There are worst things to have! Provided that rate is well controlled there is no need to be anxious.

[Mumthree in reply to BobD]

Thankyou

[TracyAdmin Partner]

Welcome to the Forum, I am sure many of he members here will offer you some good advice based upon their own experiences. AF is the most common arrhythmia that can affect one in three of us, symptoms vary from person-to-person so it is important to ensure you are aware of the facts. If you would like a chat, please feel free to call our Patient Services Team on 01789 867 502 or [e-mail]

You will benefit from visiting our AF Association webpage and downloading some of our videos: heartrhythmalliance.org/afa... or resources, such as 'AF and You' booklet; api.heartrhythmalliance.org...

booklet

[mjames1]

It's very normal to be anxious after a diagnosis of afib. Most here were, but it fades with time and knowledge.

As your doctor has probably told you, there may be a relationship between your leaky mitral valve and atrial fibrillation.

Treatments for both follow a similar path, including lifestyle changes, medication's, and possibly procedures or surgery.

You are not alone with these two conditions, as both are quite common, especially as we age.

The good news is that you're still in the mild/moderate stage with your mitral valve and your afib is asymptomatic. Most here have symptoms from afib and many of us very symptomatic.

Of course seek out specialists who can properly guide you, including afib specialists called electrophysiologists or ep's for short. But also important to learn as much as you can on your own, so that you can intelligently participate in any medical decisions that may come up.

Jim

[Mumthree in reply to mjames1]

Wise advice - many thanks

[Wightbaby]

I was a couple of years older than you when diagnosed with same. I was slim and fit too.

I am now 70. Am in Permanent AF now and starting to get a bit breathless on slopes and stairs.

Learn as much as you can about your condition and adapt life accordingly if you can.

Best wishes

[Tellingfibs]

I have the same as you, plus a mild aortic leakage. These were found when I had an echocardiogram following my afib diagnosis. Looking back, just before my diagnosis, I had become very slightly breathless pushing my grandchild up hills in her buggy, but I don’t know if that was the Afib or the leaky valves ! My EP at the time said if the valves were going to get worse, they would probably do so quite quickly. This was seven years ago and they show up the same on my annual echos. My GP said most people develop leaky valves as they get older, and not to worry about that aspect. It’s worth remembering that lots of people have all sorts of things going on with their hearts that are only discovered because they have the investigations that surround afib. We afibbers are fortunate that potential problems are picked up long before they would otherwise be found - let’s be glad about the positives !

Annie.

[Mumthree in reply to Tellingfibs]

What a lovely reassuring reply - are you on medication ?

[Tellingfibs in reply to Mumthree]

Warfarin and Bisoprolol 10mgs daily. The Bisoprolol is because on a few occasions my heart rate has gone up and I felt bad with it. Now steadily around low 60s. This drug is for rate control rather than for rythmn control. I hope the responses on this forum prove useful and reassuring for you. Being diagnosed with Afib can cause a fair bit of anxiety - which doesn’t help the condition !

Annie.

[JOY2THEWORLD49 in reply to Tellingfibs]

Hi

Everyone has personal meds.

BBs Metoprolol and changed to Bisoprolol neither was a controller of my rapid AF , persistent. But BP control, yes.

CCB Diltiazem was my heart rate control med. So good that when taken my H/Rate Day at rest went within 2 hours, 120 plus to 51. The dose 180mg AM was reduced to 120mg.

Separate CCB with the BB.

So Bisoprolol 2.5mg PM.

PRADAXA 110 x twice day my choice of anti-co.agulant.

cheri JOY

[Ppiman]

Welcome to this club of AF sufferers. I can offer you reassuring news. A now elderly good friend has had the same as you for many years. He's now reached the grand old age of 90 with permanent AF of long duration, remaining amazingly well. His AF has been fairly symptom free throughout with just a very few fainting episodes, perhaps more due to his low blood pressure and skipping a meal than his AF, though. No one really knows. He has never been treated except by an early unsuccessful electric cardioversion and a daily anticoagulant (warfarin).

I gather that AF, as Bob says, can be caused by valvular issues such as you have. I think mild back flow from the valve is not uncommon, however, and perhaps especially so in permanent AF. I had it in 2019 when I had atrial flutter and a racing heart (something much like AF). The need is to control any persistent tachycardia (i.e. a resting pulse over 100bpm). My friend's pulse tends to be a touch higher than normal, in the 80s. My son's colleague, at 76 now, has similar, and is, again, coping well and even still helping my son's school out teaching a little, amazingly.

The doctor will want to repeat your echocardiogram heart scans every so often to keep an eye on the valve over time but, with luck and a following wind, I should think all will be well.

Steve

[Mumthree in reply to Ppiman]

Really reassuring - Thankyou

[JOY2THEWORLD49]

Hi

I have severe dilation of Left Atrium and RVentricle regurglitation.

I understand one causes the other.

Diagnosed with stroke and rapid, persistent AF now controlled with Diliazem.

Told that Bisoprolol over time will improve this. Enlarged heart back within normal size. On Pradaza 110mg x twice day.

cheri JOY.

[Mumthree in reply to JOY2THEWORLD49]

Thankyou so much

[2learn]

Hi, just make sure to have the leak checked every so often as they do tend to get worse as we get older, mine needed repair at age 71.

[Mumthree in reply to 2learn]

I certainly will - Thankyou

[Lilylui in reply to 2learn]

What did having the repair entail? As I have AF and echocardiogram recently had showers my mild leaking valve as in 2 yrs gone to moderate, I am in 24/7 af with hbp and very breathless

[2learn in reply to Lilylui]

Hi, first of all I had lots of tests, angiogram, TOE, stress tests all to check whether my heart would be ok for an op. This would probably differ from person to person. The op was about 5 hrs open heart surgery with the valves being stitched tighter to stop the leak. You can have non open heart, less invasive but this is not practiced much in UK and number of surgeons who have done say 20 ops is less than 5.

A wk in hospital, it was in the middle of covid, so I wasn't allowed visitors. For about 2 mths after you are not allowed to push, pull or lift anything more than a cup of tea, to let your surgery heal. You cannot even make it yourself as kettle too heavy. So you need support and care for that time, getting out of bed, going to toilet, getting up from a chair etc all thing as as an older person you use your arms without thinking.

Anyway now 2yrs later, a scan last year shows everything working well, repairs good no leaks etc.

Valve repairs won't cure AF, they can help reduce impact but I got surgeon to do an ablation while they were in there.

Any other questions or more detail, please ask.

All the best

[Desertflowerchild]

When I was around 32 years old, a doctor heart a pronounced heart murmur. Follow up with imaging led to a diagnosis of mitral valve prolapse and regurgitation. (No symptoms ever.) I was told it would likely get worse with age. The murmur remained pronounced for years and every doctor who put a stethoscope to my chest commented on it. The original diagnosis, made in France, was confirmed later in Australia and again in the USA, each time by imaging. I am 70 years old now. These days, my doctors generally mention hearing only normal heart sounds. Imaging no longer shows any prolapse. Echography shows very very mild mitral regurgitation. So, was the original prolapse diagnosis, twice confirmed, wrong as my EP suggested or did my heart partially heal? I don't know the answer, but I believe our body does its best to heal if we give it half a chance (and I try to give my body at least a half a chance).

[Lilylui in reply to Desertflowerchild]

What sort of things do you do?

[Desertflowerchild in reply to Lilylui]

Just the basics: healthy diet, exercise, adequate sleep, . . . but I definitely need to handle stress better -- that's my weak point.

[Madscientist16]

You need to know if you had MVP before AF or the other way around. MVP can cause AF, but AF episodes can enlarge the atria of the heart and cause temporary mild to moderate MVP. That is what happened to me. Once my AF was under control for several years, they detected NO MVP in the ECG (Echo) after retesting. So, the AF caused the MVP.

[Mumthree in reply to Madscientist16]

That’s really useful . I am back with the cardiologist in 2 weeks and will have that conversation. Thankyou

[Lilylui in reply to Madscientist16]

So it can improve once the Af is under control?

[Madscientist16 in reply to Lilylui]

Everyone is different, but if your MVP was caused by AF, then AF improvement may resolve the MVP. Be sure to check with your doctor.