Mitral Valve Prolapse (MVP)

An old classmate was recently inflicted with cardiovascular conditions. Valentine's Day is also coming up. So, I've decided to post updated information about some common heart diseases.


Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) refers to an abnormal anatomy of one of heart valves: the mitral valve. In MVP, one or both mitral valve leaflets billow into the left atrium of the heart.

Prevalence of MVP is 2.4 percent in both men and women, and is evenly distributed among age groups[N Engl J Med 1999 Jul 1;341(1):1-7].

Although MVP is usually benign, it can cause more serious problems such as mitral regurgitation, infective endocarditis, and arrhythmias. Mitral regurgitation (MR) requires more medical attention.

It's always a good idea to see a doctor to make sure mitral valve prolapse does not evolve into mitral regurgitation.