Mitral Valve Prolapse: It's Not Just for Women Mitral valve
prolapse (MVP) is a common heart condition. MVP often occurs in
people who have no other heart problems and is a congenital
abnormality, meaning it is something a person can be born with.
What makes the story of MVP interesting is that for years it was
considered to be a severe condition primarily seen in women. As
it turns out, that’s not entirely true. What is mitral valve
prolapse? The mitral valve is located in the left side of the
heart, separating the upper and lower chambers. Normally the
mitral valve opens and shuts in a coordinated fashion to allow
blood to flow in one direction—from the atrium to the ventricle.
In patients with MVP, the mitral valve does not close properly,
sometimes allowing small amounts of blood to flow back into the
atrium. It is most often diagnosed when a doctor hears a “click-
murmur” sound when listening to the heart and is confirmed with
an echocardiogram. A misunderstood condition In the past, MVP
was not well unde