Mitral-valve prolapse: prevalence in an Australian population.

The prevalence of mitral-valve prolapse in 200 volunteers (100 men and 100 women) was investigated by means of a combination of clinical, phonocardiographic, and echocardiographic findings. Mitral valve prolapse was documented on M-mode echocardiography in four men and four women, giving an over-all prevalence of 4%. In addition, symptoms and electrocardiographic abnormalities, which are reported to occur more commonly in patients with mitral valve prolapse, occurred with equal frequency in the subjects with mitral valve prolapse and in those without prolapse.