What is the difference between mitral valve prolapse and regurgitation

N Engl J Med ; Prevalence and clinical outcome of mitral-valve prolapse. Task Force 4: HCM and other cardiomyopathies, mitral valve prolapse, myocarditis, and Marfan syndrome. Identification of high-risk and low-risk subgroups of patients with mitral-valve prolapse. Pelliccia, A. Arrhythmias and sudden death in mitral valve prolapse. Am Heart J ; Kligfield P, Devereaux RB. Is the patient with mitral valve prolapse at high risk for sudden death identifiable? Griffin, B. Manual of Cardiovascular Medicine.

Fourth Edition. ARA Staff , October Marathoning with Mitral Valve Prolapse. Delling, F. Circulation , 21 , Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. Any use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below.

Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization and proceeds from Web advertising help support our mission. Mayo Clinic does not endorse any of the third party products and services advertised. The table above outlines how we define how severe the leak is. Of course as can be seen in the pictures, echocardiography is the way we usually do this. So in reality one should look at many factors together when determining how severe the regurgitation is.

In between is generally considered moderate. We will discuss the management of mitral regurgitation and complications associated with a significantly leaking valve in further posts.

Mitral Valve Prolapse 2 — Whats hapenning to the valve? Mitral Valve Prolapse 3 — The Dreaded flail leaflet.

Its like you read my mind! However, in some cases treatment is required. The most common cause of MVP is abnormally stretchy valve leaflets called myxomatous valve disease. A person can be born with the genetic risk of developing MVP. It also can be caused by other health problems, such as some connective tissue diseases.

Common symptoms include bursts of rapid heartbeat palpitations , chest discomfort and fatigue. The echo uses ultrasound to evaluate the characteristics of the valve cusps and how much blood may be leaking regurgitation from the valve when the heart contracts. The test results and extent of your symptoms will guide your health care team in determining if further testing is needed. Talk with your health care team about how to prevent complications from MVP based on your level of risk. People with an abnormal mitral valve may need mitral valve repair or replacement if:.

MVP rarely becomes a serious condition. However, in the most serious cases it can cause abnormal heartbeats arrhythmias that may eventually become life-threatening.