Isolated mitral valve prolapse is an independent predictor of aortic root size in a general population.
OBJECTIVE
Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is associated with aortic root (AoR) enlargement in patients with inherited connective tissue disorders. This report evaluated whether MVP is related to AoR dimension in a large population with otherwise normal echocardiographic parameters.


RESULTS
We retrospectively analysed echocardiograms performed by a single echocardiographer between 2001 and 2007 for various clinical indications. Six hundred and twenty-seven subjects with isolated MVP were found and then matched by sex, age, and body mass index to 627 individuals without MVP. The whole sample included 454 men and 800 women with an average age of 37.9 +/- 0.3 years and a body mass index of 23.7 +/- 0.1 kg/m(2). MVP subjects had a higher AoR diameter (30.4 +/- 0.1 vs. 29.5 +/- 0.1 cm; P < 0.0001) compared with controls. Furthermore, multivariate analyses demonstrated an independent association between MVP and AoR size (P < 0.0001) in a model that included age, gender, body mass index, body surface area, blood pressure levels, and left ventricular mass index as confounding variables.


CONCLUSIONS
Isolated MVP is an independent predictor of greater AoR size in a large population with otherwise normal echocardiographic parameters.
Matos-Souza
José R
JR
Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Campinas, Cidade Universitária Zeferino Vaz, 13081-970 Campinas, SP, Brazil. wilnj@fcm.unicamp.br
Fernandes-Santos
Mariana E
ME
Hoehne
Eduardo L
EL
Franchini
Kleber G
KG
Nadruz
Wilson
W
D000328:Adult; D001011:Aorta / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008945:Mitral Valve Prolapse / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies