Rattled by MVP diagnosis
Hello everyone! I (F23) was diagnosed yesterday with mitral valve prolapse and reading everything online about sudden cardiac death has been freaking me out. I was hoping to gain a more realistic point of view on the risks of this disease.
For context, I went to a cardiologist because I fainted on my way to work last week. Typical vasovagal syncope prodrome, but I had never so much as felt faint before so I thought it would be wise to have it looked at.
My labs were perfect other than slightly elevated cholesterol. After an ECG and an echocardiogram, my cardiologist told me I have MVP and an otherwise normal, healthy heart. Her exact wording on my chart after the echo: “Normal left and right ventricular size wall thickness and systolic function Atria are normal size Normal diastolic function Minimal anterior mitral valve prolapse with no regurgitation Trace tricuspid regurgitation”
My ECG was slightly off (minimal voltage for LVH and nonspecific ST abnormality) but she said they are normal variation.
She told me that my fainting was normal and unrelated, probably just because I was standing for a long time and sick the week before. Also that my MVP is normal and doesn’t require treatment or follow up unless I develop symptoms.
Of course, I googled MVP when I got home and was surprised to see the SCD risk. It seems that many believe the risk of SCD is understated/underresearched for MVP, and that it more likely affects young to middle aged women (me!). It is hard to not be anxious when reading that this disease can cause me to suddenly die, even if I have zero symptoms. I run or workout every day, and now feel anxious while doing so.
I just wanted to hear a second opinion on all this. Are there more tests I should have done to determine if my MVP is malignant, or is that knowable from the echocardiogram? Is this worth seeing another cardiologist for a second opinion? I trust my doctor, but am so unfamiliar with anything to do with the heart. Thank you in advance!
Edit: Forgot to mention: the reason she ordered an echocardiogram is because she heard a 3/6 holosystolic murmur. She said this was caused by the MVP.