A heart murmur is the sound of blood flowing through an abnormal valve or through a hole in the wall between the chambers of the heart (septal defect). It is not the heart murmur itself that is significant. The concern is the underlying condition.
Some conditions causing heart murmurs have no effect on mortality. Others have serious consequences. Conditions causing heart murmurs may be treated surgically, by repair or replacement of a valve, or closure of a septal defect.
There is no rating for a functional or innocent heart murmur. Other murmurs may call for a moderate to highly rated substandard, or even a decline.
Life Insurance Solutions, in summary when underwriting a heart murmur disease history, suggests for those persons looking for life insurance for heart murmurs, the following factors are very important in assessing the risk:
- Diagnosis?
- Date of diagnosis?
- Type of treatment?
- Date of surgery, if any?
- If valve replaced, type of valve used as replacement?
- Any heart enlargement?
- Any symptoms - e.g., chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitations, fatigue, weakness?
- Antibiotics taken before dental work?
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