The mitral valve is located in the heart’s left ventricle between the upper and lower chambers.
Normally,heart valvesare fairly rigid, and they open and close completely with regularity.
A large mitral valve prolapse can allow blood to seep back into the hearts top chamber.
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This is calledmitral regurgitationor a “leaky valve.”
Mitral valve prolapse is generally not considered to be life-threatening or progressive.
It is one of the more benign causes of a heart murmur.
It is likely that there is a genetic component to MVP since it can run in families.
What Are the Symptoms and Complications of MVP?
Many people live their whole lives without symptoms of MVP.
Mitral Regurgitation
Mitral regurgitation is the backflow of blood from the ventricle to the atrium.
Treatment
Treatment for MVP varies depending upon the extent of the prolapse.
Your symptoms and staging can help your doctor decide whether you need treatment.
The heart is a muscle that gets stronger with exercise.
Aerobic exercise strengthens the heart and makes it more efficient.
This punch in of exercise is generally recommended for people who have MVP.
Aerobic exercise includes walking, jogging, swimming, or cycling.
A moderate pace for 30 minutes at a time is a good way to get started.
Rarely is someone discouraged from exercise because of mitral valve prolapse.
Severe cases may require the input of acardiologistto ensure that exercise doesn’t inadvertently promote mitral regurgitation.
In some cases, exercise can place undue stress on the mitral valve, causing more harm than good.
The results of this test can determine how much exercise you could safely perform without compromising your mitral valve.
2017 Jan 17;135(3):297-314. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.116.025260
