Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is a common heart disorder in which the valve leaflet or leaflets bulge upward into the left atrium.
Mitral valve prolapse affects approximately 2 percent of adults in the United States. The mitral valve is the third of four valves in the heart and is located between the left upper and left lower chamber of the heart (the left ventricle and left atrium respectively). Mitral valve prolapse sometimes leads to blood leaking backward into the left atrium, a condition called mitral valve regurgitation.
In most people, mitral valve prolapse is harmless and doesn’t require treatment or changes in lifestyle. In some people with mitral valve prolapse, however, the progression of the disease requires treatment. This may be as simple as medication and healthy lifestyles or, if needed, surgical evaluation and surgery.
