Is mitral valve prolapse, a heart condition, really not critical? i have one, detected when i was 10 years old

i have been diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse (MVP) when i was just 10 years old. My doctor said that i had it since birth. i was told not to worry about it since it is not life threatening. However, i just needed to know if anyone among you has this condition. And what precautionary measures you undertake. By the way, i used to take Betaloc to control my blood pressure, but i was advised against it by my new doctor.

Hi Piglet, I work as a cardiac sonographer and come across MVP quite a lot!

MVP occurs when the valve between the left upper chamber (left atrium) and left lower chamber (left ventricle) does not close properly. In people without MVP, when the heart contracts, the mitral valve remains closed and prevents the blood in the left ventricle going back (regurgitating) into the left atrium.

However, in MVP the valve actually bulges or prolapses back into the left atrium therefore allowing blood to regurgitate into the left atrium. There are different degrees of MVP. The Mitral Valve has two leaflets and MVP can occur when just one or part of one of the leaflets are prolapsing, or both of the leaflets can prolapse . The amount the valve is prolapsing basically determines how much blood is regurgitating into the left atrium (called Mitral Regurgitation or MR).

Most of the time MVP is really quite harmless and does not have any adverse affect on your lifestyle or ability to do activities. However it all really depends on how much the leaflets are prolapsing and how much MR is present. In some people with MVP the MR can become quite significant and start to cause symptoms. In this situation, a mitral valve replacement or repair may eventually be required.

MVP and MR can be easily checked with an Echocardiogram and your doc may want you to have an echo every year or two to monitor things.

Patients with MVP may also need to take antibiotics before dental procedures as a precautionary measure...hope that helps a little!

Its a matter of not strenuously exercizing for long periods. A trainer or physical therapist may help you. My granddaughter has the same thing. She feels bad when her heart races after a workout.

You'll know when the condition worsens as you'll start to become more lethargic and lack the ability to catch your breath. Ensure you have annual visits not just with a family doctor but also see a cardiologist.

Hi Piglet. There is an extensive body of scientific research showing that MVP is often caused by a magnesium deficiency. Your doctor should know this, but I bet he/she does not.

Ask your doctor to evaluate your magnesium status by ordering either an "RBC magnesium" or "magnesium load" test. "Serum magnesium" is the only test most medical doctors know, and it is virtually a meaningless test because your tissues and cells can be very deficient in magnesium with normal serum levels.

Best wishes and good luck.

Its depends how significant, and whether exercise bothers it.

You may have some trouble exercising hard.