Exercise Capacity Evaluation in Patients With Non-rheumatic Mitral Valve Prolapse (MVP)

Overview

Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is a relatively common cardial problem in which one or more of the leaflets of the mitral valve prolapse during systole into the left atrium. The disease is very heterogeneous and can vary from a benign disease with almost no impact on the patient's life to a severe cardiac problem with many complications and high mortality rate. The purpose of the study is to see if the investigators can find a relation between the severity of the MVP to the exercise capacity of the patient. The investigators also want to see if they can find a difference between the exercise capacity of mild MVP patients and healthy people. To evaluate the exercise capacity of the subjects the investigators use Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing (CPET). CPET is probably the best known way to get a full picture of the subject's functions during exercise. By combining gas exchange monitoring and ECG during a controlled exercise in which the subject reaches maximal effort, the test gives information about the cardiac, the pulmonary and the metabolic functions of the subject. This information can help identify if there is a problem to perform exercise properly and more specifically if the limitation is due to a cardiac, pulmonary or metabolic problem.

Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is a relatively common cardial problem in which one or more of the leaflets of the mitral valve prolapse during systole into the left atrium. The disease is very heterogeneous and can vary from a benign disease with almost no impact on the patient's life to a severe cardiac problem with many complications and high mortality rate . The purpose of the study is to see if the investigators can find a relation between the severity of the MVP to the exercise capacity of the patient. The investigators also want to see if they can find a difference between the exercise capacity of mild MVP patients and healthy people. To evaluate the exercise capacity of the subjects the investigators use Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing (CPET). CPET is probably the best known way to get a full picture of the subject's functions during exercise. By combining gas exchange monitoring and ECG during a controlled exercise in which the subject reaches maximal effort, the test gives information about the cardiac, the pulmonary and the metabolic functions of the subject. This information can help identify if there is a problem to perform exercise properly and more specifically if the limitation is due to a cardiac, pulmonary or metabolic problem.