What is mitral valve prolapse?

Causes and Symptoms

The mitral valve connects the heart’s left ventricle and left atrium. The oxygenated blood, having already passed through the right heart chambers and the lungs, arrives in the left atrium through the pulmonary
veins and then passes through the mitral valve into the left ventricle. Compression of the left ventricle pumps the blood into the aorta and on to the rest of the body. A properly functioning mitral valve closes and prevents regurgitation or backflow into the left atrium. Mitral valve prolapse occurs when the two leaves of the mitral valve close imperfectly, allowing leakage. This condition, known also as mitral valve insufficiency prolapse, is the most common cardiac syndrome. Found in all segments of society, it is most common in young adult women.

Mitral valve prolapse has several possible causes including rheumatic fever, inflammation of the heart lining (endocarditis), cardiac tumors, or most often, genetic error. Its symptoms are undue fatigue after exercise, shortness of breath, and chest pain. Other common complaints are anxiety, depression, and panic, all related to stress. The number of diagnosed cases in Western countries is rising markedly and may be the result of more sophisticated diagnostic techniques or the increasing stress in modern society.

Perspective and Prospects

Until the 1960s, the detection of mitral valve prolapse was through a characteristic “click” heard by the physician when the mitral leaves attempted to close. Now the use of echocardiograms, allowing ultrasound images of the beating heart and blood flow, is standard practice.

People with mitral valve prolapse lead a normal life, and many are unaware that they have the condition. Repeated irregularity in breathing or an inexplicable shortness of breath is a sign to see one’s physician. Regular exercise and good eating habits are recommended for this mild condition. Only in severe cases is mitral valve prolapse treated surgically or considered life-threatening.

Bibliography

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"What Is Mitral Valve Prolapse?" National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, July 1, 2011.