What is floppy valve syndrome? Condition blamed for sudden death of congressman's wife
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The sudden passing of Eleanor Carol Barr, the 39-year-old wife of U.S. Rep. Andy Barr of Kentucky, is putting the spotlight on mitral valve prolapse, or floppy valve syndrome, listed as the cause of her death after a preliminary autopsy.
What is mitral valve prolapse?
What causes a mitral valve prolapse?
What are the risk factors?
- A history of rheumatic fever
- Connective tissue disorders, such as Marfan syndrome or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
- Graves' disease
- Scoliosis and other skeletal problems
- Some types of muscular dystrophy
How is it diagnosed?
What are the symptoms?
- Heart palpitations, or the feeling that your heart is skipping a beat, fluttering or beating too fast
- Shortness of breath
- Cough
- Fatigue, dizziness or anxiety
- Migraine headaches
- Chest discomfort