Predictors of ventricular arrhythmias in patients with mitral valve prolapse

Abstract

Arrhythmias have been reported to occur frequently in symptomatic patients with mitral valve prolapse (MVP). The mechanisms causing ventricular arrhythmias in patients with MVP have not been fully investigated. The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical, echocardiographic and heart rate variability parameters, and plasma concentrations of electrolytes and inflammatory markers in predicting ventricular arrhythmias in patients with MVP. A total of 58 consecutive patients with MVP were included in this study. We performed electrocardiography, echocardiography, holter analysis, routine biochemical tests including plasma concentrations of electrolytes and inflammatory markers, and evaluated the clinical characteristics. Ventricular arrhythmia defined as occurrence of any of the followings: ventricular premature contractions (VPCs), VPC couplets, and ventricular tachycardia documented by holter analysis, continuous monitoring or by electrocardiography. Twenty patients (34%) had ventricular arrhythmias, and 38 (66%) patients had no ventricular arrhythmias. Seventeen patients had VPC, 2 patients had VPC couplets and 1 patient had ventricular tachycardia. Univariable predictors of ventricular arrhythmias included isovolumetric relaxation time and the occurrence of moderate to severe mitral regurgitation. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that occurrence of moderate to severe mitral regurgitation was the only independent predictor of ventricular arrhythmias (relative risk: 8.42, 95% confidence interval: 1.49-47.64, p = 0.01). Present study showed that the only independent predictor of ventricular arrhythmias in patients with MVP is the occurrence of moderate to severe mitral regurgitation.