Research Corner

Here is the latest on the use of preventative antibiotics from the AHA and JADA:

• Most patients don't need antibiotics before dental procedures to prevent infective endocarditis


• The Journal of the American Dental Association

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The Women's Heart Foundation (www.womensheartfoundation.org) claims that "Mitral valve prolapse is the most common condition of the heart valves," affecting possibly about six percent of women.

The site goes on to say that it's usually young women who are diagnosed with MVP, with the incidence of diagnosis going down as women get older. But this trend is not the same for men, who appear to have a rather steady rate of diagnosis regardless of age.

Here's the graph for men
Here's the graph for women

Everyone has always assumed that more women than men have MVP, but according to this research it appears to not be the case.

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