This is a condition mentioned often and as often misunderstood. The mitral valve is a structure that sits between the upper and lower chambers of the heart on the left side. It serves to prevent blood from flowing backward from the left ventricle (the lower chamber and strongest one) into the left atrium (the upper chamber). It is composed of three leaflets that close together. There are little cords called chordae tendinae that attach to the valve leaflets to support them against the backward pressure of the ventricle's pumping.
In mitral valve prolapse, the leaflet in the back of the three billows upward (prolapses) in response to the pressure of the ventricle's pumping. Sometimes the chordae are loose and snap causing a click that can occasionally be heard with a stethoscope. If the chordae are very loose, the valve leaflet can slip backward a bit, allowing some blood to squirt backward (mitral regurgitation). This will cause a murmur, which is simply a noise heard with the stethoscope that sounds like a liquid rushing through a narrow area (which is what it is in this case).
The most important concern in mitral regurgitation is that if bacteria get into the bloodstream (bacteremia), such as, when a dental exam or work is done, the bacteria can be "shot" into the heart wall and infection can occur (bacterial endocarditis) which can damage the valve causing it to fail. This is prevented by the use of antibiotics at the time of procedures that can cause bacteria to get into the blood. Unfortunately, flossing the teeth can cause bacteremia, and since the incidence of bacterial endocarditis does not correlate with people with mitral valve prolapse who floss, some people think it is more complicated than that.
How does this affect singers? MVP has been associated with recurrent chest pain and heart rhythm disturbances. Using decongestants for a cold can precipitate this as can things such as alcohol, caffeine, and smoking. Stress and anxiety can do it also. Fortunately this can be prevented if it is a big problem with small doses of drugs known as beta blockers or calcium channel blockers.
Mitral valve prolapse occurs in one to six percent (depending on the study) of Caucasian women, and in a smaller percentage of men. Blacks??