Hobbies. Another blogger got me thinking about what I can do while I wait to talk to my cardiologist about my recent follow-up Echo results. I can lean into my hobbies.
I can go skating, which I just love! I can keep going walking, especially because spring is almost here. I even did a “gentle” hike last weekend, (more on that later). I love reading and creative writing, (so much so that I studied it in university and made it my profession), so I can certainly get back to more of that.
But lately, I find myself treating my health like a serious time-consuming hobby, if not a full-time job, lol.
After receiving somewhat unfavorable numbers on my follow-up echocardiogram that I wrote about here, I finally thought to research if there is anything I can do to slow the progression of my mitral valve regurgitation.
When I first learned I had mitral valve disease related to having a connective tissue disorder (hEDS), I had grade 2 (out of 4) regurgitation. I even said in that blog post, “I will not know until some time goes by, and I can have a repeat Echocardiogram, and see if my current level of grade 2 regurgitation is stable for now, or is it progressing.”
Unfortunately, I am now grade 3, with an EROA of 0.3 cm² showing on my recent echo report:
“An Effective Regurgitant Orifice Area (EROA) of 0.3 cm² is generally considered to be in the moderate-to-severe (Grade 3) range.”
So, now that I know things appear to be moving in a less desirable direction, I want to make sure I am doing everything I should be doing in terms of dealing with this new reality.
“Grade 3 (moderate-to-severe) mitral valve regurgitation requires active management to reduce the workload on the heart and prevent progression to severe disease or heart failure. Key strategies involve strict blood pressure control, a low-sodium diet, tailored physical activity, and close medical monitoring.
Lifestyle Modifications to Slow Progression
- Strict Blood Pressure Management: High blood pressure (hypertension) directly increases the backward leakage of the valve. Keeping blood pressure in a healthy range is critical to reducing strain.
- Low-Sodium Diet: Reduce salt intake to 2–4 grams per day. Excess sodium causes fluid retention, which increases blood volume, forcing the heart to work harder and increasing the leakage.
- Maintain a Healthy Weight: Obesity puts extra stress on the heart. Maintaining a healthy body mass index (BMI) is recommended.
- Regular, Tailored Exercise: Moderate activity (e.g., walking, biking, swimming) helps maintain heart health, but you must consult your doctor to determine the appropriate intensity. Avoid heavy lifting and very intense, competitive sports.
- Avoid Stimulants and Alcohol: Limit caffeine and alcohol, as they can trigger arrhythmias (like atrial fibrillation) which often accompany valve disease.
- Stop Smoking: Smoking damages blood vessels and increases the risk of coronary artery disease, which can worsen valve function.
- Practice Good Dental Hygiene: Poor dental health can lead to endocarditis (a bacterial infection of the heart valve). Get regular dental checkups.”
Good news, I am already doing every single one of these things on this list! But darn, I was hoping I could feel empowered by finding out something NEW that I could do also, but alas, there were no surprises here on this list.
(And can I just say, holy crap, where would I have progressed to in the last 6.5 months if I was NOT already doing those things…)
I’ve never been one to add extra salt to my food, so according to the LoseIt app where I plan and track my food, I average about 2 grams a day. My excessive tea drinking means I am constantly dehydrating myself (tea is a natural diuretic, and I drink a lot of it). So that keeps my overall fluid volume low (less pressure).
Luckily, I have naturally low blood pressure, (very low, it’s always been that way), I just took my reading yesterday afternoon, check it out:
And I went for a nice walk on Saturday, even going up a hill, (a gain of 400 feet, a moderate/easy hike, okay for my heart, as far as I know). But my average heart rate was only 111 beats per minute, so I feel confident I was in the moderate category. (Not sure what the little bit of excitement was there at the end, maybe my sister made me laugh, or something, because we were walking downhill by then, lol). I will be discussing exercise with my cardiologist, but I am pretty sure maintaining my cardiovascular health is helping my heart handle my valve problem.
So, I guess I will stay the course while I wait, and live each day to the fullest, hobbies definitely included.
The Bio Joy Diet 
Interesting to read this. I was diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse many years ago, but when I switched doctors, the new doctor said I don’t have it. But it was a cardiologist who said I do…so I am not even certain if I really have it or not! But either way, I never thought about my blood pressure and weight issue having an impact on it, which seems very naive in hindsight. I do remember my cardiologist telling me to avoid very heavy lifting.
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Many doctors can simply hear the prolapse (murmur) with their stethoscope. Which could be why 2 different doctors gave you 2 different answers (I suppose just listening with a stethoscope has a subjective degree of error). And prolapse happens in 2 to 3 percent of the general population, with 50% of the time never progressing to various grades of regurgitation issues. But I agree, extra pressure on that valve is not good no matter what, especially if you’ve had one doctor already tell you yours was a bit stretched out of shape (prolapsed). But that’s just another good reason to lean into your healthy habits and thank goodness you have always been trying! You’ve never completely given up, you always circle back around (after set backs) to doing what you know ultimately makes you feel your best. 😊
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