Symptoms of mitral valve prolapse
Most people with MVP don’t have symptoms. But you may develop symptoms from blood leaking backward. If you do have mitral valve prolapse symptoms, they may include:
Chest pain
Shortness of breath when you exert yourself
Dizziness
Fatigue
Cough
Anxiety
Heart palpitations
Migraines
MVP symptoms don’t always mean you have a severe form of the condition.
When should I see my healthcare provider?
See a provider if you have MVP symptoms. Your provider will tell you how often you’ll need follow-up visits. You may also need regular imaging tests to check on your mitral valve’s health. Between visits, contact your provider if your symptoms get worse.
Call 911 or your local emergency number if you experience:
Chest pain
Fainting, dizziness or extreme weakness
Sudden and severe shortness of breath
An unexpected side effect from your medication
If you’re taking blood thinners (anticoagulants) and fall, seek care right away. Blood thinners raise your risk of internal bleeding.
Mitral valve prolapse causes
Valve tissue weakness (myxomatous degeneration) causes mitral valve prolapse. It’s not always clear what makes the tissue weak. In some cases, you can get MVP from a biological parent. Researchers have linked mitral valve prolapse with several genes, including MMVP, FLNA, DCHS1, DZIP1 and PLD1.
Some connective tissue disorders may cause this tissue weakness. These disorders include:
Tissue weakness keeps the leaflets from closing tightly, which can allow blood to flow backward.
Risk factors
Mitral valve prolapse has many risk factors, including:
Being over age 65
Having rheumatic fever
Having a connective tissue disorder
Having scoliosis
Having certain types of muscular dystrophy
Having
Being female
How to lower your riskThere’s no specific way to prevent MVP. But you can reduce your risk of valve problems that come up as you get older. Some tips include:
Build physical activity into your daily routine.
Quit using tobacco products.
Follow a heart-healthy eating plan.
Maintain a weight that’s healthy for you.
Manage conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes.
Manage stress
.
Complications of this condition
The main complication of MVP disease is
. This means blood leaks the wrong way through your mitral valve from your left ventricle back into your left atrium.
MVP is one of the most common causes of mitral regurgitation. Men are more likely to develop severe mitral regurgitation. People with high blood pressure are also more likely to have backflow (regurgitation).
This backflow can get worse and cause an infection or put more pressure on your heart and lungs. If the leak is severe enough, you may need surgery or a procedure to help your mitral valve work as it should.
People who have mitral valve prolapse and regurgitation are at risk for other complications, including:
Heart failure: Your heart can’t keep up with your body’s demand for blood and oxygen because your mitral valve isn’t working right.
: When your mitral valve isn’t working well, your heart’s more likely to get an infection. This leads to endocarditis.
or
: These abnormal heart rhythms can occur because of heart muscle scarring and stretching.
Stroke: This can happen if you have atrial fibrillation.