Mitral valve prolapse

[ChulaGarza]

I am trying to find info on this condition and what effects it may have on people with CKD. I searched and didnt find much info. I was just told yesterday that I have this, not shocked being that my mother and sister have this as well. I know its pretty common and not really much to worry about but I just wonder if its a little more serious for me because of the kidney disease. Anyone have this too or can send me some info on it. Thank you SOOOO much in advance!

[DoriSchatell]

ChulaGarza, when I did a search on PubMed for "mitral valve prolapse" and added "kidney," not much came up--but one thing could be important for you, going forward. Many people whose kidneys fail and who do standard in-center hemodialysis (3x/week for 3-4 hours a treatment) and up with deposits of calcium phosphate crystals (basically stone) in their blood vessels--including the blood vessels and valves of the heart. If this is allowed to occur, it can be very hard to do surgery to repair the heart.

I said "allowed to occur," on purpose, because it looks as if this long-term complication can be prevented, or at least the risks drastically reduced. How? Well, if you ever get to the point where you need kidney replacement therapy:
-- A transplant is much less likely to lead to vascular calcification
-- Avoid using calcium-based phosphate binders, which can increase the problem
-- If you do dialysis, get as MUCH treatment as possible--preferably nocturnal hemo as many nights per week as possible, to keep calcium phosphate crystals from forming in the first place

If you know you'll need surgical repair of your valve, talk with your doctor about timing. It might make sense to do it before your kidneys fail rather than risk waiting if, for some reason, you would do standard in-center treatment.