Mitral Valve Prolapse

Floppy Valve Syndrome / MVP

The mitral valve is a piece of tissue that keeps blood that is leaving the heart from coming back into the heart. It’s a one­way valve that keeps blood moving away from the heart. In about 10% of the population (most often occurring in very slender people), the valve becomes deformed and cannot close correctly, causing blood to leak back into the heart. This condition is usually benign, and the heart can generally continue pumping blood normally. However, if extreme, MVP can cause reduced efficiency of the heart, which results in swelling (edema) of the legs, difficulty breathing, heart murmur, fibrillation, and rhythmic abnormalities. It may occasionally become bad enough to require surgery, or lead to congestive heart failure, and even death. Physicians often will tell you there is nothing to be done for MVP, but alternative medicine has found ways to improve the situation.

What Causes MVP?

MVP can be caused by problems with collagen, or connective tissue, or by rheumatic heart disease, which occurs at times because of severe strep throat. The condition is most common in women between the ages of 14 and 30. MVP sometimes appears in several members of the same family, which previously had led to the belief that it is inherited. But many experts now believe that MVP is nutritionally caused. This is good news, as it means that nutritional support can help fix the condition.

Treatments for MVP

If you have been diagnosed with MVP, the first step you need to take is to stay away from caffeine. This popular stimulant can exacerbate arrhythmia in people with MVP.

Once you remove caffeine from your diet, take magnesium and Co­Q10 supplements. Research indicates that anywhere from 62 to 85% of MVP patients suffer from magnesium deficiency, suggesting a link between the disorder and the deficiency. One University of Alabama School of Medicine research study of 92 MVP patients discovered that 62% were deficient in magnesium and that this 62% also experienced tell­tale symptoms of the deficiency: muscle cramps, migraines, and low blood pressure when rising from a sitting or prone position to standing. Similarly, one research study found that 50% to 75% of MVP patients are deficient in Co­Q10. Try adding both magnesium and Co­Q10 to your diet for maximum MVP relief.