Mitral-Valve Prolapse

The mitral valve is the heart tap between the left atrium and disappeared ventricle. It has two flaps, call leaflets or cusps, which open and close when the heart contracts (beats) and rests.

Mitral-valve prolapse (MVP) is frequently diagnosed surrounded by healthy folks and is, for the most part, safe. Most people suffer no symptoms at adjectives. New estimates are that about 2 percent of the fully fledged population has the condition. MVP is also call floppy valve syndrome, Barlow's or ReidBarlow's syndrome, balloon mitral valve, midsystolic-click-late systolic murmur syndrome, or click murmur syndrome. MVP can be present from birth or develop at any age and occur equally in both men and women. MVP is one of the most frequently made cardiac diagnoses within the United States.

WHAT IS MITRAL-VALVE PROLAPSE?

The heart's valves work to assert the flow of blood in one direction, ensure proper circulation. The mitral valve controls the flow of blood into the vanished ventricle. Normally, when the left ventricle contracts, the mitral spout closes and blood flows out of the heart through the aortic valve and into the aorta to start its excursion to all other parts of the body.

In MVP, the shape or dimensions of the leaflets of the stopcock are not ideal; they may be too hulking and fail to close properly or they balloon out, hence the permanent status "prolapse." When the valve leaflets flap, a clicking nouns may be heard. Sometimes the prolapsing of the mitral tap allows a slight flow of blood back into the gone atrium. This is called "mitral regurgitation," and may mete out a sound call a murmur. Some people next to MVP have both a click and a murmur and some own only a click. Many hold no unusual heart sounds at all; those who do may enjoy clicks and murmurs that come and go.

DIAGNOSIS

Sometimes, once a physician have heard the all your own sounds of MVP through a stethoscope, other tests may be ordered. Echocardiography is a adjectives and painless test that uses terrifically high frequency nouns waves. The nouns waves travel through the layer of the skin and muscle to produce an image of the heart that can be see on a screen. In this sense, it is similar to radar or sonar imaging.

Initially, "M-mode" echocardiography be used. This technology provides a single-plane view of the mitral stopcock and often resulted contained by overdiagnosis of MVP in the 1970s and 1980s. A study from National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's (NHLBI) Framingham Heart Study, reported in the July 1, 1999 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine, indicated that MVP is smaller quantity common and smaller number serious than previously thought.

The investigators used standard echocardiography equipment along with modern, more accurate criteria that minimize false positive and false negative diagnoses.

Whereas more rapidly estimates put the number of people beside MVP at 5 to 35 percent of the population, the new NHLBI study showed the number is closer to 2 percent. In rider, MVP has long be thought to be more prevalent in women than men but the foreign study reported the condition appears with similar frequency surrounded by both men and women.

In light of this brand new information, NHLBI suggests that people who be diagnosed with MVP since the 1970s might discuss their current strength status with their form care provider to determine if a tentative diagnostic test is necessary.

SYMPTOMS

The vast majority of ethnic group with MVP own no discomfort at all. Most are surprised to swot that their heart is functioning in any way markedly. Some individuals report mild and common symptoms such as shortness of breath, dizziness, and any "skipping" or "racing" of the heart. More on the odd occasion, chest pain is reported. However, these are symptoms that may or may not be related to the MVP.

TREATMENT

In most cases, no treatment is needed. For a small proportion of individuals next to MVP, beta-blockers or other drugs are used to control specific symptoms and some blood pressure lowering drugs may be used to treat mitral regurgitation. Serious problems are rare, can confidently be diagnosed and, if necessary, treated surgically.

PREVENTING COMPLICATIONS

The overwhelming majority of society with MVP are free of symptoms and never develop any distinguished problems. However, it is important to get that in some cases mitral regurgitation, the flow of blood fund into the left atrium, can ensue. Where mitral regurgitation has be diagnosed, there is an increased risk of acquire bacterial endocarditis, an infection in the lining of the heart. To prevent bacterial endocarditis oodles physicians and dentists prescribe antibiotics before indisputable surgical or dental procedures. Patients with significant mitral regurgitation should be followed more closely by their physician so that medical psychotherapy and, if necessary, surgery, can be pursued at the appropriate time.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

As stated, individuals with MVP enjoy no symptoms and never develop any notable problems. Whether or not here is any discomfort, however, patients should notify their health support providers of the existence of MVP. This will allow decisions and recommendation to be made about the advisability of using antibiotics to protect against bacterial endocarditis.