i have a slightly small mitral valve leak in my heart. my cardiologist say nothing to worry about, but i am not sure. can some one explain if it would eventually lead to some complications?
Dear Madam, I am a cardiologist sending this article for you. Hope it helps you. Mitral valve prolapse, sometimes called MVP, is a common heart valve disorder. The mitral valve is between the left atrium and the left ventricle of the heart. It has two leaflets (flaps) that control the blood flow. MVP occurs when one or both of the leaflets are enlarged or have extra tissue. MVP is usually harmless. However, major complications can occur, including a blood clot in the brain and an infection called infective endocarditis involving the mitral valve as well as other valves. MVP appears twice as often in women as in men. It is most commonly a hereditary disorder. Some people with MVP have no symptoms. However, most patients experience a rapid or irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath, light-headedness, and chronic fatigue. Many patients also suffer from migraines, eating and sleeping disorders, an overactive or inflamed thyroid gland, diarrhea, and cold hands and feet. Emotional stress often magnifies the symptoms. Doctors generally prescribe regular exams and aerobic exercise for people who have MVP. Patients also are advised to restrict their intake or use of high-carbohydrate foods, caffeine, and decongestants. Some patients may need beta-blockers and specific antiarrhythmic medication. More severe cases may require surgery to repair or replace the valve or to insert an electronic regulator, such as a pacemaker or defibrillator.
it can cause atypical chest pain but rarely leads to serious problems
Mitral valve prolapse is the most common cardiac problem and may affect five to twenty percent of the population. The condition is most common in women, although men are also affected. With MVP, symptoms do not begin before the early teenage years (approximately age 14 in girls and 15 in boys), but adults of any age may be affected. MVP tends to run in families, so those with blood relatives with MVP have a greater chance of also having the condition. If a person has mild MVP, he/she needs no restriction of exercise. But if the MVP is big, then it is a different thing. Because, though complications in this condition are very less, people who suffer from this condition have to take extreme care. In case of large MVP, you may have to cut down on your physical activity, have a surgery and may be put you on medications like beta blockers. If the valve is truly defective (not just 'prolapsed'), it is serious. Unfortunately, doctors have mistaken a 'differently shaped' mitral valve as a disease in itself. And this is where the non-disease comes in. In simple terms, a mitral valve that appears prolapsed is usually normal. It still is not clear to experts why some mitral valves appear prolapsed and allow some blood leakage backwards. I have an answer for that phenomenon, but the important point is that the disease is a non-disease.
I have Mitral Valve Prolapse, and slight regurgitation. If your cardiologist says not to worry, I wouldn't worry. Mitral Valve prolapse just means you have a slight deformity of the bicuspid valve. It doesn't close correctly. It's not a disease, or anything like that, just a slight deformity. The symptoms are annoying. You may or may not have palpitations, slight sharp chest pain sometimes, dizziness, fatigue, and anxiety from it. You must have it checked yearly to make sure it's not progressing. I have had it since I was born, and now I am 28, and it has not progressed at all. MILLIONS of people are walking around with it, and don't even know it. It's not really a big deal. However, it does have the potential to worsen and you may or may not need a new valve. But that normally happens when you're older, in your 50's or up. Don't worry about it.
