Prevalence of psychiatry disorders in patients with mitral valve Prolapse syndrome

SUMMARY: The mitral valve prolapse syndrome (MVPS) is a common cardiac disorder, occurring in five percent of general population. An association has been claimed between MVPS and psychiatry disorders. In this study 648 patients (mean age 32.2 years, 411 female .237 male subjects) with echocardiographically confirmed MVPS were tested for psychiatry disorders, and compared with 660 control groups (mean age 33.3 years,470 female, 190 male subjects), collectively, 559 (86.3 percent) of 648 MVPS had psychiatry disorders: generalized anxiety disorder -331, dysthemic disorder 11, panic 76, simple phobia 15, agoraphobia 11, social phobia 9, obssesive neurosis 5 and hypochondriac neurosis 1 subject. 334 (50.6 Percent) of 660 control (general population) subjects had psychiatry disorders: dysthemic disorder 115, panic 50. generalize danxiety disorders 49, social phobia 48, simple phobia 30,obssesive neurosis 24, agoraphobia 15 and hypochondriac neurosis 3 subjects. Our results corroborate the contention that the prevalence of psychiatry disorders in patients with MVPS is significantly different from that of control (general population) subjects. We conclude that the role of MVPS in the etiology of psychiatry disorders is as yet not completely determined. We would urge that all patients with this syndrome should be afforded not only a complete cardiac evaluation, but in addition a careful investigation of emotional factors in their life situation.