They are located between the ventricles and their corresponding artery, and . I was disappointed [when I was diagnosed]. Ive done so much research and there are lots of young people who have went on to play sports and lead normal lifes. Body contact sports may pose some danger to athlete patients who take blood thinners. SPORTS FIGURES/ATHLETES. If so, youre far from alone. Jones' goal with the AHA is to help women "actively put themselves on the track to heart health." E. G. I could bench 50lbs with no need to strain and hold my breath, which wouldnt result in a massive spike in blood pressure, but if I tried to bicep curl 50lbs it would do. 2. I was shocked. Thank you! But thats just anecdote. It will also be necessary to keep a close eye on the size of the aorta over time, using echocardiography and CT. Im not looking forward competitions nor marathons. The worse the narrowing, the greater will be the difference in blood pressure between the arms and the legs. and my valve is working quite well (mild aortic regurgitation). My doctor says i use losartan for decrease my blood presure. 5 months ago was diagnosed with severe AR and 5 cm long aneurism (root 3.0 cm, sinusi valsave 4.3cm, ST 3.6cm, ascending aorta 3.6cm) on regular yearly checkout, with no syptoms. More difficult questions relate to what are acceptable sports/exercise if operation is not (yet) needed. Most children with BAV will remain without symptoms until adulthood. My AVG HR on a daily basis is between 61-64 (that includes a workout where it exceeds 150 at times), I have no intentions of racing this marathon, simply crossing the FINISH line, and my heart rate will not exceed 150 I will walk when/if necessary. First, Id encourage you to follow your doctors advice. Im a 30 yr old male, training 5 times a week rowing and strength training. Benefits: long-term durability. Keyhole just refers to the type of incision used for conventional valve replacement like you had. I had a David Tirone Operation a couple of weeks ago to repair a BAV with aortic dilatation (49mm), and a small leakage. 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My Dr is almost certain that these symptoms are caused by issues that are not cardiac related, and that with at the stage my BAVD is at, it would not produce symptoms. Youre right, though. Okay, thats greatbut I left feeling uncomfortable with the diagnosis. Dear Doctor, From your reading, or even just here at the blog, youll know that its not an unusual story. Like I said, peoples experiences are all different. Adam has been featured by the American Heart Association and Medical News Today. Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) and congenital aortic stenosis are two types of heart defects that may be present at birth. BAV is present at birth (congenital). Negative Stress Echocardiography Very helpful. Im not sure how you should best sort out the differing recommendations from your doctors. Perhaps that info will give you some basis for discussion with your cardiologist and surgeon regarding the type of valve that is used for your re-replacement. I have some issues with a dull pain right below my left breast that seems to come more often with a poor dietbut just doesnt seem like it could me esophagus related? Best for athletes like you to have a discussion with their doctor(s) and settle on a defined, mutually acceptable course of action about which sports activities are safe. Ad Choices, Blood molecules as they exit the left ventricle: I'll be back., The 42 Best Romantic Comedies of All Time, The 25 Best Shows on Netflix to Watch Right Now. Do you have any info or recommendations about this? Thank you very much for the answer! An abnormal aortic valve develops during the early weeks of pregnancy, when the baby's heart is developing. Ive heard from a fair number of endurance athletes after having aortic valve operations of one sort or another. I understand that we are only beginning to learn about the use of ARBs in patients who DO NOT have connective tissue disorders like Marfans syndrome. I was having chest pain and flew to Thailand to see what the issues were and they found I had GERD and Esophagitis. Is it possible that the valve will get loose? 1) Son has to stop football training as well as any physical activity, even at school (P.E. Well, as it happens, the Cleveland Clinic has been recently rated the top heart hospital in the nation, and the number two hospital overall. I eat relatively well, but sometimes having those pizzas and burgers late at night I had to change that.. This was during a 12 week intense training block where my resting heart rate got as low as 42 bpm. Hi . Thanks! Are we being foolish? This is an unfortunate situation for the athlete patient because the consensus guidelines do not yet recommend operation, yet advise against strenuous sports activities. I have been feeling better than before the surgery and I feel with better condition on the trails. The guidelines were developed by an expert panel based on the scientific information available at that time: The issue has not been studied very well, but one recent study suggests that continued participation in sports for periods of up to 5 years does not change the natural history and progression of BAV. Im a 44 year old male. This is an area where second opinions may be helpful in sorting out whats safe. Currently complete in 5-a-side football and have done for life. Im 37 years old male, live in Croatia, 191 cm, 94 kg, very athletic, practicing various sports my whole lifetime. There are several variations of this procedure that are applicable in specific situations. Up until this time shes played volleyball, basketball and has even run track in elementary. Thats important to keep in mind. Im a 30 year old male who is currently living in Asia with family. Thats always the concern with new techniques with limited follow-up data. Background: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has achieved satisfactory outcomes in the selected patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV), predominately type 1 BAV (~90%). Regarding activity restrictions, you would do best to rely on the advice of your sons doctor(s) who will be in the best position to know the relevant specifics. I used to do HIIT and moderate to heavy weight 5 days a week before my physical complications. The lines are the edges of the valve leaflets that open and close to let blood through. Or, is it something that can wait until they get sports physicals in their teens? Very often, the specialists office will make note of the patients problem and make appropriate decisions about whether routine or urgent appointment scheduling is needed. The average lifespan for a cow valve or pig valve is about 10 to 15 years, according to the Cleveland Clinic. with valve area of 1.4 cm2 and aorta of 4.1 cms This was 7 months ago. After finding out about her heart disease, Braxton stopped eating unhealthy foods at night. Athletes with BAV who have no stenosis or regurgitation of the aortic valve AND have no enlargement of the nearby aorta may participate fully in their sports. Aortic regurgitation (also called aortic insufficiency), which is a leaky valve. Could the changes in my LV be the result of the physiological, not the pathological change? The risk of BAV in children of parents with BAV is probably about 10%. I probably get more inquiries from athletes with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) than any other single heart problem. Dear Dr. Creswell, While it was anticipated that a minimally invasive, transcather device would be used during the procedure, a surgical valve was ultimately used during an open-heart procedure using a median sternotomy. Several contemporary elite triathletes have BAV and Ive written about their stories in: Examples from other sports would include Arnold Schwarzenegger, among others. Do you think the weights Im doing at the moment seem OK with those results ? For those same patients, we recommending avoiding strenuous dynamic exercise line swimming, running, soccer, tennis, cross-country skiing, etc. Aortic stenosis will limit athletic performance at the top end. Only two cusps, commissures and sinuses are seen in the less common "pure" bicuspid aortic valve subtype. No aneurysm. my age is 20 right now Normal great vessel size The typical symptoms are fatigue or shortness of breath, particularly with exertion. (liver cysts noted). Many of us are not familiar with the many types and facets of the martial arts. "Heart disease is the number one killer of all Americans, the number one killer of African-Americans and the number one killer of women, so I shouldve been put on notice since Im three-for-three. Is strength training that involves only using ones own body weight ok with mild BAV issues, or is all strength training out? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Dr. Larry Creswell on athletes and heart health. For many patients, I recommend no heavy lifting (>10 pounds) for the first month after conventional heart surgery. And what would moderate weight lifting be defined as? Randyyour situation has many similarities to mine; I would be very interested in sharing experiences. However, my problem is that if I can train at this pace then I can still run but I certainly cant compete! Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window). This was caused by an aneurysm in the ascending aorta (root) that measured over 6 centimeters). They dont know they have it [It] leaks blood. Log in, September 26, 2013 By Larry Creswell, MD 155 Comments. Bicuspid aortic valve is a heart problem present at birth. lifting a max bench of 150 lbs You are correct that we worry about the influence of such activities on the enlarged aorta in those with BAV. I think its reasonable to think of things this way. Rose underwent the procedure last week, and said he would be going home to rest for a couple of weeks before returning in March. Most probably not pericarditis cause I had it once so I know that pain type, but again, maybe its some other type. But neither of these procedures are durable for the long-term. We have got two completely different opinions from our cardiologists: However, is there any advantage to having them screen in their first decade of life, if they are not showing any symptoms? However, randomized, controlled trials have excluded bicuspid aortic valve (BAV), which is the most frequent congenital heart disease occurring in 1% to 2% of the total population and representing at least 25% of patients 80 years of age or older referred for aortic valve replacement. 2012; 109:1632-1636. It is very frustrating as my doctor would prefer to see me live the rest of my life with restrctions and have the aneurysm stabilized rather than take a chance on surgery and possibly returning to my normal lifestyle. Unanswered questions include: Can a bioprosthetic valve wear out more quickly than expected? As I mentioned in previous comment my recovery is going great. The doc states that basketball is a contact sport in her medical books and we would need to consult with another doctor to possibly get approval. Flaps of tissue on the valve open and close with each heartbeat. My average weekly training plan includes 50k of running (5 days) with 80% done on pulse below 154-152 and only 20% done at pulse about 175-179 bpm. Often times, especially for patients with tissue heart valve replacement devices, the valve simply wears out. Running it is important for me but if it has a problematic effect , I would opt for power walking My question is: is it okay for me to participate in weight lifting with BAV? I am also in grey zone waiting for surgery. Stories of Bicuspid Aortic Valve. The notion is to reduce the number of cycles of heart beat x high blood pressure. Sadly, no crystal ball is available. I was running 9 to 10 minute miles. It was a shock to the system to Hear that we need to consider a repair considering we didntt think this was happened until hey was an adult. I ran a 1/2 marathon 4 months after my surgery and have been since training for the Philly FULL marathon, which is tomorrow. I have no symptoms that I would notice, e.g. She's currently spreading the word about the AHA's partnership with CVS' MinuteClinics for free heart health screenings every Thursday in February. Ascending aorta is normal and so the rest. Very often, follow-up CT scans and echocardiograms are needed every 6-12 months to keep track. The most common type was type 1 (1 raphe with the raphe positioned between the right and left coronary sinuses (75%), while the second most common type was also type 1 . Its now 8 months after surgery and Im pretty much back in my every day life, was even granted to attend my pilot medical tests which are due in 2 weeks. Before 2 years my aorta was 37mm . Again, there are ACC/AHA guidelines for when operation is needed: Sometimes more than one indication for operation may be present, so there is the additional guideline for patients who need operation for aortic stenosis or regurgitation: I know from discussion with athletes over the past few years that there are differences of opinion among cardiologists and heart surgeons about these guidelines. Did you run? Hey is a frustrated guy. The increased stroke volume and cardiac output may cause . In some cases a particular arrhythmia that is responsible for your feelings of palpitations or light-headedness could be identified.and options for treatment could be presented. 2. Can BAV cause sudden death incidents in otherwise healthy 40 year old males? Also, due to a bout of DVT and elevated d-dimers Im on Warfarin for life. Thats the reason we try to place the largest possible substitute valve in patients who need replacement. Thank you very much for your thoughtful response. He isnt interested in anything else. My surgeon basically said, Lets get you back to living your life. Cardiologists always say take it easy. Its really not strenuous, maybe 10 km/h and not more that 10 push ups at once. I had a cardio version to correct the AFIB. I now take diltiazem daily. Jeff/Doc, However, I absolutely love being competitive at running, and dont want to jeopardize that either. Now at 33 years of age the valve is 23 years old and has served me very well. however I have been getting pain (on the left side of my breast) and chest pain due to lack of oxygen. We saw cardio in April again and my sons symptoms are the same and no progression on the aortic regurgitation. We live at 6,500 ft (elevation) so Im not sure if its affecting my blood pressure when doing normal things. "Thanks to the team at the Cleveland Clinic, I have a new aortic valve to go along with my new pulmonary valve from my last surgery," he wrote. Hello Dr. Creswell, My question is if my weight&lack of training or my BAV is the cause of difficulty in running. My aortic root is 4.06 cms. And I dont know if my Cardiologist follows the same guidlines, but I dont think hes under the impression that Im any kind of athlete either.