If you want to ensure that you prolong your heartbeat and quality of life, it is important that you are aware of ways to prevent these problems that affect the four heart valves - tricuspid, pulmonary, mitral, and aortic - responsible for regulating blood flow in this organ. Over the years and under the influence of factors such as infections, cardiovascular diseases, and hypertension, these valves gradually deteriorate, resulting in dangerous changes in their functions.

They normally appear discreetly and asymptomatically, but they begin to show signs through symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest discomfort, fatigue, dizziness, fainting, palpitations, accelerated heartbeat, and swelling, especially in the legs. You should also be aware of the worsening of symptoms with more intense physical activity.

If you suspect that you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you may be at risk of developing problems such as acute myocardial infarction and stroke, which may be related to valvular heart disease such as aortic stenosis, the most common valvular disease that affects the majority of elderly people.

In this case, the aortic valve, responsible for allowing blood to be pumped to the aorta artery without returning, becomes narrow and does not open completely, impairing the adequate transport of blood out of the heart. The treatment requires multidisciplinary mobilisation, which aims to outline the best way to implement a new heart valve.

Another problem that should be a red alert for our concerns is mitral insufficiency, a disease associated with ageing and more common in males. It affects the mitral valve, which allows the passage of blood from the left atrium to the left ventricle, preventing blood reflux.

With the development of mitral insufficiency, blood backflow occurs, resulting in less blood being pumped into the circulation and causing increased pressure in the pulmonary veins. Without proper monitoring, similar to cases of aortic stenosis, there is a possibility of progressing to heart failure, marked by complications such as arrhythmias.

Start taking measures now to prevent your heart’s expiration date from being shortened. Adopting a healthy lifestyle, with regular physical activity and regular medical appointments, is a shortcut to contributing to a longer and healthier life. Start building this path now!

The HPA has had a hemodynamic laboratory and a cardiovascular intervention centre since 2002 to perform percutaneous transcatheter implantation of heart valves and other interventions for cardiac disorders. Its 'Heart Team' includes cardiothoracic surgeons, interventional cardiologists, imaging cardiologists, and cardiopulmonologists. In addition to the hemodynamic laboratory, HPA has an echocardiography laboratory with European accreditation and a hybrid theatre room. The Interventional Cardiology and Cardiothoracic Surgery Teams work together from the initial diagnosis until the most appropriate treatment is proposed for each patient.

For more information please contact Grupo HPA Saude on (+351) 282 420 400.