Risk Factors of Mitral Valve Prolapse
It is still unclear what actually causes mitral valve prolapse. Many people are actually born with abnormal structures that lead to the disease, such as too stretchy, too thick, or too big mitral valve flaps. It is reported that the condition is more common in women. The risk is also higher in those born with problems in their connective tissue, such as tendons, ligaments, or collagen. Mitral valve prolapse tends to run in families. This means if your parents or siblings have it, you can be at a higher risk. Some medical conditions would cause the disease, such as Marfan’s syndrome, Ebstein anomaly, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, muscular dystrophy, graves’ disease, polycystic kidney disease, or scoliosis. While people of all age groups can be affected, serious symptoms tend to be noticed in men older than 50 years old. [3]
