Key result
Cerebral ischemic attacks in patients under 40 show no link to definite mitral valve prolapse.
Why the study?
The association between cerebral ischaemic attacks and mitral valve prolapse in younger patients was uncertain.
Is mitral valve prolapse more prevalent in younger patients (<40 years) with cerebral ischaemic attacks compared to matched controls?
Case-Control (n=60)
Blinded
Is mitral valve prolapse more prevalent in younger patients (<40 years) with cerebral ischaemic attacks compared to matched controls?
Absolute Event Rate: 3% vs 0%
Mitral valve prolapse does not appear to be significantly associated with cerebral ischaemic events in younger patients in Northern Europe.
No excess definite MVP in young CIA patients vs controls; challenges earlier associations and leaves regional differences open.
The association between cerebral ischaemic attacks (CIA) and mitral valve prolapse (MVP) was investigated in a blinded study of 30 consecutive patients with cerebrovascular disease and 30 control patients matched by age, sex, and immediately apparent neurological signs. All patients were below the age of 40 years. Phonocardiography, motion-mode and two-dimensional echocardiography were performed at rest and during various manoeuvres. MVP demonstrated by all three diagnostic modalities was classified as definite and prolapse in at least one but not in all three tests were designated as ambiguous. Regarding the frequency of definite MVP, no statistically significant difference was demonstrated between patients with CIA (3%) and controls (0%). Ambiguous MVP was rather common in patients with cerebrovascular disease (13%) but equally frequent in control patients (20%). It is concluded that MVP does not appear particularly common in Northern Europe in younger patients with cerebral ischaemic events.
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Egeblad et al. (1984) conducted a case-control in Cerebral ischaemic attacks (n=60). Cerebral ischaemic attacks vs. Matched controls without cerebral ischaemic attacks was evaluated on Frequency of definite mitral valve prolapse. Cerebral ischaemic attacks in patients under 40 years old were not associated with an increased prevalence of definite mitral valve prolapse compared to matched controls (3% vs 0%).
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