Shortness of breath while walking was Allan Glube’s first sign something wasn’t quite right. Very active in his mid-70s, he regularly walked, both in Toronto and at his vacation property in southern France.
“This wasn’t the normal, ‘oh, I’m climbing a few staircases’ feeling,” he says, noting he also felt lightheaded when he transitioned from sitting to standing.
A visit to a cardiologist revealed he required a heart valve replacement. Earlier this year, he had a TAVI procedure at Sunnybrook’s Schulich Heart Program. TAVI is a procedure that improves the blood flow in your heart by replacing an aortic valve that doesn’t open fully.
Allan returned to his normal activities, like golfing and driving, within six weeks of having the procedure. His breathlessness improved significantly.
“When our heart valves aren’t working properly, there are often warning signs like breathlessness, dizziness, and fatigue,” explains Dr. Nicolas Bowers, interventional cardiologist with Sunnybrook’s Schulich Heart Program, who performed Allan’s procedure.
Dr. Bowers says one in eight people over the age of 75 are thought to be living with heart valve disease. A simple stethoscope check is the first step to detect heart disease, and urges people to ask their family doctor for this quick test. While untreated and advanced heart valve disease can cause heart failure, stroke, blood clots or death due to sudden cardiac arrest, it’s also very treatable when caught early.
Allan is now back on the golf course, and says his participation in University Health Network’s Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation Program was greatly beneficial for tailored exercise and nutrition plans after his TAVI.
“I’m now hitting a golf ball further than ever,” he beams, and says he’s looking forward to long walks again while travelling in France.
This week, we mark Heart Valve Awareness Week, an international campaign aimed at improving diagnoses, treatment and management of valve disease. For more information on how to be referred to Sunnybrook’s Schulich Heart Program, please visit us.