Mitral Valve Prolapse

Reference Mitral valve prolapse Opens New Window (MVP) is caused by a physical change in the valve. Physical changes such as thickening or abnormal shapes cause most of the cases of MVP. What causes these physical changes is not known. MVP may be passed down through family members.

Some people who have other inherited diseases (ones that run in families) may also have MVP. But this link is not common. Inherited diseases associated with MVP include:

• Reference Marfan's syndrome Opens New Window.
• Reference Ehlers-Danlos syndrome Opens New Window.

Conditions that affect the mitral valve, connective tissue, and heart muscle can cause mitral valve prolapse, but this is rare.

Other conditions, such as Reference osteogenesis imperfecta Opens New Window and Reference hyperthyroidism Opens New Window, are linked with mitral valve prolapse.

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