Conscious Choice: Affair of the Heart

April 2006 | Whole Health

Affair of the Heart

Dealing with mitral valve prolapse

By Elana Verbin Bizer

Feeling a bit light-headed lately? Experiencing occasional palpitations or trouble concentrating? If so, you might be in love or, conversely, suffering from a very different affair of the heart: mitral valve prolapse.

Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is thought to be the most common heart ailment, yet it is one of the least understood. According to the Mayo Clinic, this condition affects slightly more than 2 percent of the adult population in the U.S., while some health sources quote the incidence rate as high as 5 percent. Categorized as a heart murmur, MVP is generally the most benign of the various types of murmurs that exist. While it isn’t a serious condition and requires no treatment, being told that your ticker is anything less than perfect can fill you with anxiety — especially if you have no idea where your mitral valve is, much less what has gone awry.

The mitral valve is one of four valves that regulate blood flow in the heart. The valve is like a one-way straw, allowing blood to flow from the upper to the lower heart chambers. Normally, the valve constricts after allowing blood to pass through it, preventing any blood from leaking back into the upper chamber. However, for those with MVP, the valve flaps bulge backwards a bit into the upper chamber. This movement creates the telltale sound that first alerts a doctor at the other end of a stethoscope to the condition.

MVP is thought to be predominantly a genetic condition, caused by a structural problem within the valve. Though it isn’t quite considered a form of “heart disease,” according to Dr. Ronald Hoffman, medical director of the Hoffman Center in New York City and host of the syndicated radio program Health Talk, cardiologists are beginning to look at MVP as not just one single variation of the heart anatomy, but rather as a whole spectrum of abnormalities that seem related to an underlying instability of the autonomic nervous system.

Hoffman explains that people with MVP somehow seem to be “wired differently,” in that their autonomic responses are much more volatile. This condition makes it possible for certain normal stressors to flood their systems with stress hormones, leaving them feeling “wired but tired.” Other possible symptoms include hyperventilation, heart palpitations, cold sweats and acute sensitivity to alcohol, caffeine and chemicals. While MVP is not necessarily seen as the cause of these symptoms, it seems to coincide as a marker. At the same time, other health conditions and imbalances can act as triggers for MVP, including hypoglycemia, hypothyroidism, food allergies, PMS, menopause and magnesium deficiencies.

If your doctor suspects you have MVP, you’ll want an echocardiogram, which relies on ultrasound technology. Once a diagnosis is confirmed, your health will be followed to make sure that the condition doesn’t develop into a situation where the blood actually leaks back into the upper valve. Most cases of MVP do not progress to this point. However, in a small number of instances this leakage, known as mitral valve regurgitation, can occur and put patients at risk for heart failure.

While there are no universally accepted treatments or cures for MVP, a variety of natural therapies can help alleviate symptoms. At the top of the list is exercise. While some people use a diagnosis as an excuse to become couch potatoes, individuals are encouraged to ramp up their exercise regimens. Proper diet is also key. The first items to pull from your grocery list include anything with artificial flavoring agents like MSG and NutraSweet.

When it comes to supplements, reach for magnesium if you suspect that you’re not getting enough through your diet. Magnesium plays an important role in preserving muscle tone. A Polish study several years ago observed that the number of symptoms an individual with MVP experienced was cut in half with magnesium supplementation. While 200 mg. daily seems like a good rule of thumb, you’ll want to work with your practitioner to establish your optimum dose. Co-enzyme Q10 is another heart-helping supplement that appears to improve the pumping action of the heart. And B vitamins are also credited with relieving some of MVP’s symptoms since they reduce levels of lactic acid in the blood that are associated with stress and anxiety.

“Most people with MVP notice little to no change in their health and it’s fairly common to experience no symptoms,” explains Hoffman. The only serious cautionary behavior involves the use of prophylactic antibiotics before a visit to the dentist because some murmurs are associated with increased risk of bacterial infection of the heart. And, as with all health conditions, you’ll want to find ways to reduce stress in your life in whatever way that works best for you, be it yoga, therapy or running.

So if it turns out that your quickening heart stems from MVP, rest assured that it’s a whole lot less complicated than the heart condition we call love.

Elana Verbin Bizer is a freelance writer in Calif.

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