Mitral valve prolapse is a common syndrome with a wide range of symptoms. It is a disorder in which one or both of the mitral valve flaps are too large or too floppy, and the mitral valve does not close as firmly as it might. It may slightly balloon back into the left atrium, causing a faint click, or may permit a tiny amount of blood to backflow into the left atrium (mitral regurgitation) producing a heart murmur. Generally, a stressful situation (childbirth, change in job situation, viral illness) brings on symptoms which may include changes in heartbeat, phantom chest pain, panic attack (eg cold sweats), fatigue and weakness, and migraine headaches, resulting from abnormal nervous system control of blood flow. The relationship with stress, and diseases of industrial society, has led to speculation that MVP is related to an underlying instability of the autonomic nervous system.
Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is the most common heart valve abnormality, found in between 5 and 20 percent of the population, though approximately 60 percent of individuals with MVP never exhibit any symptoms or complications. Mitral regurgitation (leakage of blood from insufficient valve closure) occurs in about 2 out of 1,000 people overall. It seems to be an inherited disorder, Some forms of MVP seem to be hereditary, although the precise genes are not known; MVP has been associated with Marfan's syndrome characteristics. MVP is more commonly found in women than men and most commonly diagnosed among patients between the ages of 20 and 40. It affects about 5 to 7% of women between 14 and 30 years old.