Prevalence of mitral valve prolapse in healthy Saudi women

Two-hundred-and-thirty-two Saudi young women were prospectively clinically examined for the presence of mitral valve prolapse. Phonocardiograms recorded in all subjects at rest in supine position revealed 10.7% incidence of systolic clicks and/or mid to late systolic murmurs. Echocardiographic studies were performed in supine, left lateral as well as sitting up positions. Twenty-eight subjects were found to have mitral valve prolapse. Of these, 21 subjects had mid to late systolic prolapse when the other seven subjects were found to have pansystolic prolapse (holosystolic). Eight of the 28 positive subjects had auscultatory evidence of mitral valve prolapse. It seems that mitral valve prolapse is more common than expected in healthy Saudi women population.