Mitral Valve Prolapse: Associations with Symptoms and Anxiety

Abstract

Mitral valve prolapse has been studied extensively in the adult population, but less is known about it in children. Therefore, 813 children between 9 and 14 years of age were examined by a team of cardiologists and technicians. The children also responded to a questionnaire concerning the presence of symptoms and the What I Think and Feel anxiety instrument. The prevalence of mitral valve prolapse using auscultatory criteria was 4.2% (6.2% for girls, 2.3% for boys). Of those with mitral valve prolapse, 85% had a solitary click, 9% had a click and systolic murmur, and 6% had multiple clicks. Children with auscultatory mitral valve prolapse were less likely to have symptoms than those free of cardiac abnormalities. No difference in average anxiety scores was detected between the two groups. It is concluded that auscultatory mitral valve prolapse is common in children and not accompanied by an increased likelihood of symptoms or anxiety.

Are children with mitral valve prolapse more anxious?

“…Studies investigating the association between MVP and anxiety are limited in children. Arfken et al[ 10 ] in a study in 1990 found the frequency of MVP to be 4.3% among 813 pediatric patients aged 9–14 years, and they concluded that anxiety scores in these children were not higher than in healthy children. In the same year, MVP was detected in two of six children whose first panic attack was between 5 and 11 years of age and diagnosed with early-onset panic attacks.…”

“…[ 4 5 6 ] However, there are also studies supporting that MVP does not contribute to an increase in anxiety levels. [ 7 8 9 10 ] Furthermore, it is important to determine whether there is mitral regurgitation (MR) with MVP because it has been shown that posttraumatic stress disorder associated with anxiety and depression is more common in patients with organic-MR than in normal controls and simple MVP. [ 11 ]…”