Currently the most common valvular disorder in developed nations, Mitral Valve Prolapse (MVP) is usually a benign heart valve abnormality with a wide variety of symptoms. MVP is associated with a wide variety of other abnormalities, some of which can be very troubling to the patient. People with MVP often suffer from palpitations, fatigue, shortness of breath, and inexplicable chest pain. When the sympathetic nervous system of the patient is aroused, he or she is often susceptible to severe chest pains and a pounding, racing heartbeat. The symptoms of MVP are often confused with the symptoms of a heart attack, but the disorder is relatively benign.
The problem The mitral valve is a heart valve which normally functions to regulate the flow of blood between the heart’s left atrium and its left ventricle, ensuring that all the blood flows in the right direction. It is composed of two triangular fibrous membranes, known as “leaflets,” which close off the opening between the atrium and the ventricle when the heart contracts. In people with MVP, one or both of the membranes is too large, and the muscles supporting the membranes may be too long. As a result, the membranes are too loose, and do not fully close off the opening between the left atrium and left ventricle. A physician may detect this abnormality as a slight “click,” heard when the heart contracts.
Symptoms
Most people with MVP have no symptoms. Those who do usually experience one or more of the following:
Chest pain
Shortness of breath, especially when lying down
Fatigue
Heart palpitations
Trouble breathing after exercise
Coughing
Panic attacks
Hypersensitive startle reflex
Extreme sensitivity to medications, caffeine, and alcohol
Cold hands and feet
Numbness or tingling in fingers and toes
Rapid heartbeat
Risks
There is a very slight increase (about four in one million) in the rate of endocarditis, a potentially life-threatening heart infection, among people with MVP. For most patients, this added risk is very slight. Those most at risk are patients with thickened valve leaflets; and patients with mitral regurgitation, in which blood leaks back through the faulty valve.
In most cases, MVP is a very mild heart condition which requires no intervention, although it should be monitored by the patient’s doctor.Due to the possibility of endocarditis, many people with MVP are urged to take preventative antibiotics before undergoing routine surgery or dental procedures. However, especially for people with mild MVP, the risks of antibiotic overuse may outweigh the possible benefits of preventative treatment. Patients with MVP should ask their doctor about the possible use of preventative antibiotics.
