Mitral valve prolapse and pathology of the anterior leaflet, its symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. Manifestations of cardiac prolapse and possible complications

Prolapse of the mitral valve, and in particular its anterior leaflet, occurs due to changes in the very structure of this component of the heart. Most often, such an anomaly affects the child at the stage of gestation.

Sometimes the pathological process begins to develop in an adult. Lack of proper treatment leads to rapid progression of the disease and death of the patient.

Therefore, it is extremely important to know about the signs of the disease, diagnostic methods and therapy.

General idea of ​​pathology

Mitral regurgitation (MVR) is a disease that is usually characterized by the development of an abnormal process in the connective tissue. As a result of these harmful changes, the valve weakens and loses tone.

Then, with each successive contraction of the heart ventricle, it begins to bend into the atrium cavity and does not close completely. Therefore, a small amount of blood still returns. An indicator such as ejection fraction is significantly reduced.

An experienced cardiologist must determine how far the distance between the leaflets has deviated from the norm. Based on this observation, various degrees of mitral disease are distinguished. By the way, deflection of the front flap is much more common than deflection of the rear flap.

In most cases, children suffer from such cardiac pathology (congenital anomaly). The connective tissue does not have time to fully form, and the valves are initially susceptible to deformation. Often the chords also change. After which they are unable to maintain healthy valve tone.

Attention! It has been established that predominantly women suffer from the disease in question. In view of this, the fetus of the weaker sex while still in the womb requires a more thorough examination and diagnosis.

Provoking factors for the development of the disease

Doctors say that congenital (primary) prolapse often occurs, which is inherited and depends on the individual characteristics of the human body. However, it can also appear against the background of a certain disease (secondary). The following possible causes of the development of pathology are identified:

Attention! Secondary prolapse can occur at any age, regardless of a person’s gender.

Without appropriate treatment, the acquired type of the disease in question quickly develops into a complex form.

Symptoms of the disease

Pathology of the mitral valve itself often occurs without any symptoms. In some cases, the disease enters the second stage of its development without a single sign of the presence of an abnormal process.

Only aching or acute pain on the left side of the chest can cause suspicion. Moreover, this pain syndrome is in no way associated with ischemic disease.

Discomfort does not leave the patient for several minutes or even days. The intensity of pain increases due to stress, nervous tension, and excitement. Physical activity does not affect the strength of the pain syndrome. Additional signs of the disease are:

If the above symptoms are detected, the patient should consult a doctor as soon as possible.

Accepted classification

The degree of progression of the disease at this moment can only be determined by conducting an echocardiographic study.

Depending on the intensity of blood entering the left ventricle, the following stages of pathology are distinguished:

The advanced stage of the disease in question requires surgical intervention.

Diagnostic methods for studying pathology

Detection of the disease in question begins with listening to the heart with a stethoscope. Afterwards, if necessary, they resort to other diagnostic methods, including the following:

• Ultrasound examination of the heart (echocardiography) is one of the most effective ways to determine the degree of pathology, which allows you to detect malfunctions in various cardiac structures;
• abnormal heartbeat, as one of the signs of prolapse, will be shown by electrocardiography;
• Using Holter electrocardiography, they monitor not only the rhythm of heart contraction, but also control the treatment of arrhythmia.

No less effective in recognizing this heart disease are radiography and phonocardiography. In this way, you can detect deformation of a characteristic organ and listen to heart murmurs.

Doppler diagnostics allows you to determine the speed of blood movement.

Further therapy is prescribed strictly after all the results of the examination and tests.

Treatment regimen

Prolapse of the anterior leaflet of the mitral valve is treated in various ways. The course of therapy depends on the type and degree of development of the anomaly. For congenital pathology, no treatment is carried out at all. After all, medications do not affect the patient’s condition in any way. If the symptoms are pronounced, then therapy is selected taking into account individual characteristics and the severity of the disease.

The standard treatment regimen is as follows:

The patient's general condition is improved by taking various vitamin complexes. Surgery is resorted to only as a last resort. During the operation, the damaged valve is replaced.

Complications due to the disease

It is worth noting that treatment of the disease in question usually has a favorable prognosis. Severe complications and consequences due to this disease develop very rarely.

Sometimes arrhythmia or endocarditis of an infectious nature appears. Experts often diagnose the development of thromboembolism as a consequence of the progression of prolapse.

The clinical picture is complemented by symptoms:

• yellowish skin tone;
• fatigue, weakness;
• low pressure;
• joint pain.

However, the occurrence of various complications can be minimized if you go to the hospital in time and begin adequate treatment.

Mitral valve prolapse, namely the anterior leaflet of the mitral valve, is a rather dangerous disease. It should be treated by a qualified specialist.

Self-prescription of medications is unacceptable. If you adhere to all the instructions of the attending physician, undergo timely examinations and undergo regular therapeutic courses, then the pathology will not be able to affect a person’s quality of life.

Grade 1 mitral valve prolapse is a heart disease that develops due to connective tissue pathology.

The disease is not life-threatening. However, if not treated in a timely manner, the disease progresses and can cause the development of serious heart pathologies. In total, there are 3 degrees of severity of mitral valve prolapse.

Mitral valve prolapse 1st degree: signs and treatment

Typically, grade 1 mitral valve prolapse does not manifest itself in any way. However, under certain conditions, the disease can cause severe pain in the left side of the chest. The pain usually disappears after a few hours. In most cases, discomfort in the sternum appears due to stress. In addition to pain, the patient experiences the following symptoms:

1. Feeling of lack of oxygen. Under stress, the patient may complain of the inability to take a full breath.
2. Headache. Often, with grade 1 mitral valve prolapse, pain is accompanied by dizziness.
3. Loss of consciousness.
4. Slow or rapid heartbeat.
5. Slight increase in body temperature.

If characteristic signs of the disease occur, a person needs to undergo diagnostics. First of all, ECHO-cardiography is prescribed. This diagnostic method will help evaluate the functioning of the mitral valves. If necessary, the diagnosis is supplemented by an ECG, a general blood test and a chest x-ray.

Treatment of the disease usually only involves normalizing the work and rest regime. If pathology is detected, it is recommended to refrain from intense physical activity. To relieve the symptoms of the disease, the patient is prescribed sedatives. If grade 1 mitral valve prolapse is accompanied by tachycardia, the patient should take beta blockers. As an auxiliary therapy, drugs are sometimes prescribed that help improve myocardial nutrition, for example, Panangin or Riboxin. The dosage and duration of treatment are determined individually, based on the causes of the pathology and the age of the patient.

Mitral valve prolapse 2nd degree

As a rule, grade 2 mitral valve prolapse is a consequence of other diseases of the cardiovascular system. The symptoms of the disease are the same as for grade 1, however, the intensity of the clinical manifestations is slightly higher. For example, pain in the left side of the sternum may not leave a person for several days. In addition, headaches and lethargy become chronic. Even with minor physical exertion, the patient experiences shortness of breath or fainting. Also characteristic signs of 2nd degree prolapse are panic attacks and psycho-emotional disorders.

Treatment of grade 2 prolapse comes down to normalizing nutrition and daily routine. High physical activity is strictly contraindicated for this disease. If the disease is accompanied by symptoms of vegetative-vascular dystonia, the patient should take sedatives such as tincture of motherwort or hawthorn. As an alternative, a tincture based on valerian extract is suitable. There are cases when grade 2 mitral valve prolapse is accompanied by arrhythmia or mitral insufficiency. In this case, a person should use anticoagulants and beta-blockers. It is recommended to supplement drug therapy with physiotherapeutic procedures. If conservative treatment does not have the desired effect, or the disease is accompanied by severe heart failure, doctors resort to surgery, during which the damaged valve is replaced with a specialized prosthesis.

Mitral valve prolapse grade 3

With grade 3 prolapse, the sagging of the valve walls reaches more than 9 mm, which leads to disruption of blood flow in the ventricle. Usually the disease is treated with surgical intervention by replacing the affected area with prosthetics. In addition, the patient is prescribed adrenergic blockers, for example, Atenolol or Propranolol. These medications help lower your heart rate. To eliminate the clinical manifestations of the disease, the patient should use Magnerot. If necessary, drug therapy is supplemented with vitamin complexes.

After surgery, the patient needs to completely review his diet. Coffee, alcoholic beverages and fried foods are completely prohibited. The patient should also stop smoking and exercise regularly, but avoid excessive exercise.

The prognosis for mitral valve prolapse is usually favorable. However, in some cases, the disease can cause infective endocarditis or thromboembolism.

During preventive examinations and ultrasound examinations of the heart for various reasons, doctors often make a verdict about the presence of MVP. Therefore, many people are beginning to worry about the question: mitral valve prolapse - what is it, why is it dangerous, is it possible to cure it and how. Let's try to figure it out.

Mitral valve prolapse: what is it, why is it dangerous?

Sagging, protrusion of two or one leaflets of the mitral valve into the left atrium during the ejection of blood into the aorta from the left ventricle. This is the essence of the pathology - mitral valve prolapse. Doctors do not define this condition as a heart defect and call it a developmental feature. As a rule, it is genetically determined and associated with connective tissue dysplasia.

The danger of prolapse is determined

• Functional disorders. Normally, during contraction (systole) of the left ventricle, the valve leaflets between it and the atrium should be tightly closed. In the case of prolapse, at this moment the blood may flow back (regurgitation) into the left atrium. This adds extra volume, and the left parts of the heart begin to suffer from overload, and their hypertrophy develops. In the future, this leads to pulmonary hypertension, overload of the right side of the heart, and heart failure.
• Heart rhythm disturbances. Patients report periods of palpitations, discomfort and pain in the chest.
• The possibility of settlement of infectious agents on the altered valve - the development of infective endocarditis with vegetations on the valves.

Types of pathology

Types of PMC are classified depending on various factors.

Origin:

• caused by congenital and genetic characteristics of the development of connective tissue - primary;
• caused by systemic diseases affecting connective tissue, neuroendocrine diseases, disrupting the autonomic regulation of valves, cardiac diseases, affecting the functions of the myocardium and endocardium - secondary.

Manifestations:

• auscultatory - when listening, systolic murmur and clicks are determined;
• mute - no pathology is detected during ausultation.

Degree of sashes sagging in mm:

• first – 3-6;
• second – 6-9;
• the third is more than 9.

Depths of blood flow back into the atrium:

• in the valve area;
• 1/3 of the atrium;
• ½ atrium;
• more than half of the cavity.

Severity of manifestations:

• asymptomatic;
• asymptomatic – when observation is necessary;
• clinically significant – subject to treatment.

Symptoms of mitral valve prolapse

Most cases of primary prolapse go unnoticed, and sagging valve leaflets are detected during examinations for other diseases. But retrograde analysis of patient complaints still reveals characteristic symptoms.

In the absence of progression or grade 1-2 regurgitation, the presence of pathology may be indicated by various minor ailments, which are usually attributed to disorders of the autonomic regulation of the tone of the vascular system:

• discomfort, pain in the chest, in the heart area, not related to physical activity;
• periodic shortness of breath or feeling of lack of air;
• irregular rhythm, “fading” of the heart, palpitations;
• a quickly onset feeling of fatigue;
• unstable mood;
• night and morning headache
• fainting states.

Mitral regurgitation of 3-4 degrees leads to significant disturbances in cardiac hemodynamics. Without correction, symptoms of heart failure gradually increase.

Diagnostics of MVP

Accurate diagnosis of prolapse allows the doctor to determine the most appropriate tactics for managing the patient: observation or active therapeutic measures.

Upon inspection and questioning:

• The nature of the patient's complaints may lead the doctor to think about the presence of MVP.
• The general appearance of such patients often indicates a congenital pathology of connective tissue. Usually these are asthenics with long, thin limbs, pathological joint mobility, often with poor eyesight and strabismus.
• When auscultating the heart, clicks and systolic murmurs are heard as blood flows into the left atrium through the unclosed valves.

With Echo-CG:

• valve deflection, changes in the leaflets and chordal apparatus, the degree of prolapse and the depth of regurgitation flow into the left atrium are reliably visualized;
• signs of pulmonary hypertension can be seen and myocardial thickness measured.

• rhythm disturbances are recorded; when monitoring the ECG throughout the day, episodes of accelerated heartbeat may be detected.

Is treatment required for MVP?

MVP, accompanied by only slight regurgitation at the valve level - up to grade 1 and not manifesting clinical symptoms, usually does not require treatment. Perhaps the doctor will recommend periodic monitoring by a cardiologist and control echocardiograms. Patients are asked to eliminate or reduce

• heavy physical activity;
• smoking;
• alcohol abuse;
• passion for strong coffee and tea.

You should establish a work and rest schedule, engage in physical therapy, take healthy walks and get a good night's sleep.

The vegetative symptoms that bother patients certainly require adequate correction. Use drug therapy

• antiarrhythmics;
• antihypertensive drugs;
• medications that improve myocardial metabolic processes;
• neuroleptics, sedatives, tranquilizers.

Also, when performing any operations (tooth extraction, tonsils, etc.), patients with mitral valve prolapse are recommended to be prescribed broad-spectrum antibiotics to avoid the development of infective endocarditis.

For severe mitral regurgitation, therapy is carried out to correct the condition

• cardiac glycosides;
• diuretics;
• ACE inhibitors.

Significant dysfunction of the valve requires surgical intervention - mitral valve repair is performed. Often operations are performed using endovascular or endoscopic techniques,

• suturing of folds;
• shortening of valve chords;
• ablation of myocardial areas in areas that trigger pathological impulses - arrhythmia.

Open valve replacement surgery is performed for severe combined pathology.

Forecast

With MVP that is not accompanied by significant regurgitation, the prognosis is favorable, especially if you follow the doctor’s recommendations and slightly change your lifestyle towards a healthy one. With such prolapse, you can engage in some sports, swimming non-professionally.

To a pressing question for young people - if a conscript has grade 1 mitral valve prolapse, is he accepted into the army - the answer is yes, he is accepted. Medical diversion requires a diagnosis of MVP with significant valve dysfunction or complications. As a rule, these are grade 2 and 3 MVP.

Mitral valve prolapse with regurgitation up to half or the entire length of the atrium requires treatment and sometimes surgical correction. In this case, the prognosis depends on the joint work of doctors and the patient. If the tandem is successful, the prognosis is also favorable. The lack of adequate treatment threatens a deterioration in overall health and irreversible consequences.

Pregnant women should be involved in the prevention of MVP as a congenital pathology - avoid colds, poor environmental conditions, correct metabolic disorders, and manifestations of toxicosis.

The progression of an existing pathology can be avoided by following the measures recommended by the doctor and regularly monitoring the condition.

Article publication date: November 25, 2016

Article updated date: 12/18/2018

From this article you will learn: characteristics of the pathology of mitral valve prolapse, the causes of its occurrence, classification by severity. Main symptoms, treatment methods, how it can be dangerous, possible restrictions for patients and prognosis for the future.

The mitral or bicuspid valve is the valve that separates the left atrium from the left ventricle. During diastole (relaxation of the ventricles), the valve opens, allowing oxygenated blood from the pulmonary circulation in the left atrium to pass into the left ventricle, from where it then travels through the systemic circulation.

With mitral valve prolapse (abbreviated MVP), flexion or prolapse of the mitral valve leaflets occurs, which, depending on the severity, may either not be accompanied by any symptoms at all and not bother the patient in any way, or lead to quite serious problems, unpleasant manifestations and significant limitations in terms of professional activities and sports.

With normal structure and function of the mitral valve, it is tightly closed during ventricular systole (contraction) and does not allow blood to return to the atrium. But in the presence of prolapse, the valve leaflets, under blood pressure, bend towards the left atrium and partially open, allowing blood to flow back into the atrium - this process is called regurgitation. The more pronounced the blood regurgitation, the more pronounced the clinical manifestations of MVP.

The prevalence of this pathology among the population is relatively low - it is found in approximately 2.5–3% of people. However, in recent years, due to the introduction of cardiac ultrasound into routine examinations of adolescents and children, mitral valve prolapse is detected much more often, especially in young patients and children.

Diagnosis and treatment of prolapse is carried out by cardiologists. They also determine possible restrictions for patients, including with regard to study, work, military service, and physical activity.

Causes

The exact causes of prolapse are unclear. It is believed that the main role is played by the structural features of connective tissue - the so-called connective tissue dysplasia. With connective tissue dysplasia, numerous and varied disorders of the structure and function of those organs that include connective tissue are noted - heart valves, organs of vision, joints, cartilage, etc. Thus, along with prolapse, many patients are found to have myopia and increased mobility (flexibility) of joints, scoliosis and postural disorders.

The following diseases can also lead to mitral valve pathology:

• previous infectious and toxic endocarditis,
• tonsillitis and scarlet fever,
• cardiac ischemia,
• metabolic disorders.

Classification

Mitral valve prolapse is classified according to the degree of deflection of the leaflets:

The degree of prolapse is not always directly related to the severity of the disease. The presence and severity of regurgitation is considered more indicative: the stronger it is, the more serious the prognosis, and the more anxiety the pathology causes to patients.

Symptoms

Mitral valve prolapse has no specific symptoms. Deflection of the 1st degree in the absence of regurgitation in general most often occurs completely asymptomatically - it is discovered accidentally during medical examination and ultrasound of the heart.

With 2 and 3 degrees of prolapse and the presence of regurgitation, patients can present a variety of complaints, which, however, are more often associated not with prolapse itself, but with background or concomitant pathology (vegetative-vascular dystonia, neuroses, etc.). Most often, patients are concerned about the following symptoms:

1. stabbing in nature, which may be associated with physical activity or nervous stress.
2. Attacks of tachycardia (palpitations), accompanied by dizziness, weakness, nausea.
3. Feeling of heart failure.
4. Increased fatigue, the appearance of tiredness and weakness even after minor physical or mental stress.
5. Tendency to fainting and pre-fainting states (severe weakness, dizziness) - in stuffy rooms, against a background of emotional stress.
6. Feeling of lack of air, pain in the chest when breathing.
7. Insomnia, nightmares, waking up with palpitations and heart pain.

Diagnostics

If there are complaints and symptoms of the heart, a cardiologist should prescribe examination and treatment. Since there are no specific signs of prolapse, after questioning and examining the patient, the doctor can only assume a diagnosis, and to confirm it, it is necessary to conduct a study visualizing the structure and function of the heart - Doppler echocardiography (EchoCG) or ultrasound of the heart.

According to ultrasound data, it is determined that there is mitral valve prolapse, its degree, presence or absence and severity of regurgitation are determined. As a rule, other studies are not needed to clarify the diagnosis, but they may be needed to determine professional or sports suitability.

As additional examination methods, various tests are carried out (test on an exercise bike with an ECG and Echo CG before and after exercise, squat tests, measuring blood pressure in a lying position and immediately after taking a vertical position, etc.). You may also need blood tests (general and biochemical), consultations with related specialists (neurologist, rheumatologist, psychiatrist, cardiac surgeon).

Treatment

In mild forms of the disease, when mitral valve prolapse is mild and regurgitation is absent or minimal, treatment is usually not prescribed. However, treatment may be necessary for those patients who complain of heart pain, fainting and dizziness.

Since such complaints with moderate changes in the structure and function of the valve are most often caused not by heart pathology itself, but by neurasthenia, neuroses and other neurological problems, treatment, accordingly, is prescribed by neurologists (in close cooperation with cardiologists).

1. Compliance with the regime - avoid stress, physical and mental overload. It is highly advisable to consult a psychotherapist or psychologist and undergo training in methods of self-control (over emotions, behavior), and relaxation. A correct work schedule is required (during the day, with standardized working hours and a full lunch break). A mandatory component of treatment is a full night's sleep. For sleep disorders, mild sleeping pills are indicated.
2. Carrying out activities with a general strengthening effect - hardening, walking in the fresh air, swimming in the pool.
3. Drug therapy - sedative (calming) drugs - such as motherwort, valerian, novopassit. Potent tranquilizers are used extremely rarely. Also included are drugs that normalize metabolism (metabolism) in the myocardium - kudesan, elcar, etc.

For grade 2–3 prolapse in combination with regurgitation, when patients are often diagnosed with increased blood pressure and arrhythmias, it is additionally recommended to take antihypertensive and antiarrhythmic drugs. To prevent the development of infective endocarditis in prolapses with regurgitation of degree 2 or more, antibacterial therapy is recommended.

In especially severe cases that do not respond well to conservative treatment, cardiac surgical correction may be recommended. The main indications for surgical intervention are the development of chronic mitral regurgitation and the risk of developing (or already developing) heart defects.

Patient monitoring

Patients who have been diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse, regardless of severity and the presence or absence of regurgitation, should be registered with a cardiologist and undergo regular examinations. It is recommended to perform it at least once a year to assess the dynamics; conducting an ECG 2 times a year - for early detection of arrhythmias.

The cardiologist determines the patient’s capabilities in terms of professional activities, sports, and suitability for military service. Prolapse of the 1st degree without regurgitation does not impose serious restrictions; only heavy physical activity and training in some military higher educational institutions (flight schools, etc.) may be contraindicated. The question of the possibility of playing sports is decided individually (depending on the type of sport and the presence of complaints).

With prolapses with regurgitation, especially pronounced, the restrictions are much more serious. Professional sports are generally prohibited. Military service is contraindicated; there are contraindications for a number of professions.

Complications

Severe mitral valve prolapse, especially in combination with regurgitation, can lead to the development of such serious complications as:

Forecast

In the vast majority of cases, mitral valve prolapse occurs without complications, causing virtually no discomfort to patients.

The prognosis for grades 1–2 with minimal or no regurgitation is favorable, there are practically no restrictions, and they only relate to significant physical activity.

With prolapse of the 3rd degree or in the presence of severe regurgitation, the prognosis is much more serious, and the course of the pathology is unstable and unpredictable, it is dangerous for its complications, therefore, to improve the patient’s quality of life and reduce risks, cardiac surgical correction of the anomaly may be recommended.

The heart is a vital organ of our body, a ball of muscle that constantly contracts and forces blood to move through the blood channels, tissues and cells. The human “flame motor” consists of four chambers, which are connected to each other by holes with valves. The contraction of the chambers leads to an increase in the pressure of the blood contained in them; the pressure difference between the chambers and the vessels extending from the heart creates the driving force of blood circulation.

Heart valves regulate blood flow by opening strictly in a given direction and closing when backflow occurs. If, during contraction of systole, the valve leaflets begin to prolapse towards the chamber with less blood pressure, this indicates heart valve prolapse.

Deflection can occur in any of the 4 valves, but is most typical for the mitral valve, since being located between the left atrium and the ventricle, it experiences the greatest physiological load.

Classification of the disease

Localization of heart valve prolapse can be observed on the posterior, anterior, or both leaflets simultaneously. Much more often in medical practice defects of the anterior valve of the mitral valve are diagnosed. Depending on the genesis, two forms of the disease are distinguished: primary PMK and secondary.

Symptoms and signs

Somatovegetative signs of MVP are interruptions in heart function, palpitations, cardialgia, chills, shortness of breath. In adolescent children, mitral valve prolapse often manifests as heart block and arrhythmia.

Symptoms of the development of sagging or protrusion of the valve flaps can also be external signs. Characteristic features of people suffering from MVP are:

High growth;
long and thin lower and upper limbs;
scoliosis of the spine;
chest deformities;
myopia;
flat feet.

In accordance with the ICD and depending on the pathogenesis, three degrees of mitral prolapse are distinguished:

I degree– the disease is asymptomatic, without causing any special problems in the functioning of organs. It is characterized by a minimum deflection of the valve flaps, which ranges from 3 mm and does not exceed 6 mm;
II degree– sagging or protrusion of the valve leaf can reach a distance of 6-9 mm. Manifested by symptoms such as fatigue, frequent dizziness, general weakness;
III degree– the symptomatic picture of the disease is most pronounced, the deflection of the mitral valve exceeds 9 mm. In the 3rd degree, prolapse is manifested by such symptoms as regular aching or stabbing pain in the heart area, difficulty breathing even in the absence of physical activity.

Complications

III degree prolapse is especially dangerous. Significant defects of the mitral valve can lead to the formation of gaps between the valves and, as a result, to the occurrence of reverse blood flow. This disorder is called regurgitation.

Brief data
- In childhood, defects in the mitral valve flaps are detected in 2 to 14% of the total number of cases.
- Deformation of the mitral valve is mainly detected in patients aged 7 to 15 years. At the same time, the frequency of development of MVP in boys and girls under 10 years of age is almost the same, which cannot be said about the age category of 10-15 years. In girls over 10 years of age, mitral valve prolapse is diagnosed twice as often as in boys.
- Children with mitral valve prolapse most often suffer from respiratory diseases, sore throat and inflammation of the tonsils than their peers without pathologies of the valvular cardiac system.

Causes of the disease

The reasons for the development of a secondary or so-called acquired form of MVP can be hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and other diseases of the cardiovascular system, rheumatism, and chest injuries.

Diagnosis and treatment

Echocardiography (ultrasound) of the heart;
phonocardiography;
electrocardiography;
radiography.

These studies make it possible to identify pathological changes in the valve system, for example, such as thickening of the heart valve leaflets, expansion of the mitral ring, and an increase in the parameters of the left atrium. A more complete picture of the nature of changes occurring in the valvular system of the heart is provided by auscultatory data. Valve prolapse can be isolated or combined with other somatic pathologies, for example, with minor cardiac anomalies. Isolated prolapses are divided into silent and auscultatory forms of the disease. In the first type of MVP, there are no noises or other changes in the heart rhythm when listening with a phonendoscope. In the auscultatory form, isolated clicks are present, which can be combined with late systolic murmur.

To identify factors that provoke the formation of deflections in the mitral valve flaps, ECG or radiography are prescribed as additional research methods. Daily monitoring of the electrocardiogram makes it possible to identify such heart rhythm disturbances as sinus bradycardia, extrasystole, atrial flutter, and paroxysmal tachycardia.

Diagnosis of MVP includes laboratory blood tests, family history, and physical examination.

Quite often, MVP is detected in young men of military age during a medical examination. Contraindications to military service include prolapse of the primary form in the 3rd stage of development and heart failure of a certain functional class.

Brief data
- In adults, the peak incidence occurs at the age of 35-40 years. MVP is most often diagnosed in women, accounting for up to 75% of cases of the disease.
- Heart failure is classified into four functional classes. The first and second functional classes imply certain restrictions on service. For young people diagnosed with heart failure of functional class III and IV, the army is contraindicated.

In newborns, deformation of the mitral valve flaps can also be caused by toxic effects on the fetus in the last stages of pregnancy. Drinking alcohol and smoking during pregnancy are dangerous for the health of the unborn child.

Treatment of MVP should be based on the degree of development of the disease. Thus, congenital pathologies of the valve system cannot be treated. Minimal deflection of the mitral valve involves treatment through restorative therapy aimed at stabilizing the autonomic system and psycho-emotional state of the patient, and includes auto-training, acupuncture, massage, electrophoresis with magnesium and bromine, and psychotherapy. Physical therapy is recommended.

Treatment of MVP with pronounced mitral regulation, along with sports and recreational measures, involves the use of drug therapy. The patient is prescribed cardiotrophics, sedatives, and anticoagulants. Cardiac pathology implies a decrease in physical activity. In case of prolapse of the mitral valve flaps, physical activity should be dosed. The patient is prescribed exercises from the exercise therapy complex. The load level for teenagers and children should be moderate. The diagnosis of stage 3 MVP completely excludes sports.

With the development of grade 3 mitral regurgitation, the need for surgical intervention arises. The operation consists of either mitral valve replacement or suturing of its leaflets.

Prevention

Traditional methods of treatment

For the prevention and treatment of second-degree prolapse, traditional medicine suggests using the following remedy: from 200 g. prunes, 200 gr. figs and 200 gr. Dried apricots prepare a medicinal mixture by passing the indicated ingredients through a meat grinder. Every morning, take one tablespoon of the mixture on an empty stomach. Store the prepared medicine in the refrigerator in a glass container.