What Do We Know So Far About Ventricular Arrhythmias and Sudden Cardiac Death Prediction in the Mitral Valve Prolapse Population? Could Biomarkers Help Us Predict Their Occurrence?

PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW: To summarize currently available data on the topic of mitral valve prolapse (MVP) and its correlation to the occurrence of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias. To assess the prognostic value of several diagnostic methods such as transthoracic echocardiography, transesophageal echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance, cardiac computed tomography, electrocardiography, and electrophysiology concerning arrhythmic episodes. To explore intra and extracellular biochemistry of the cardiovascular system and its biomarkers as diagnostic tools to predict rhythm disturbances in the MVP population. RECENT FINDINGS: MVP is a common and mainly benign valvular disorder. It affects 2-3% of the general population. MVP is a heterogeneous and highly variable phenomenon with three structural phenotypes: myxomatous degeneration, fibroelastic deficiency, and forme fruste. Exercise intolerance, supraventricular tachycardia, and chest discomfort are the symptoms that are often paired with psychosomatic components. Though MVP is thought to be benign, the association between isolated MVP without mitral regurgitation (MR) or left ventricle dysfunction, with ventricular arrhythmia (VA) and sudden cardiac death (SCD) has been observed. The incidence of SCD in the MVP population is around 0.6% per year, which is 6 times higher than the occurrence of SCD in the general population. Often asymptomatic MVP population poses a challenge to screen for VA and prevent SCD. Therefore, it is crucial to carefully assess the risk of VA and SCD in patients with MVP with the use of various tools such as diagnostic imaging and biochemical and genetic screening.

Partner preference of intact and ovariectomized female gray short-tailed opossums (Monodelphis domestica).

Intact, ovariectomized and ovariectomized estradiol (E)-treated female gray short-tailed opossums were placed in a test situation in which they could choose between an intact and a castrated male. Intact females chose to visit intact males first and visited them more frequently and spent more time with intact than with castrated males. Ovariectomized (OVX) females did not show this preference for visiting intact males over castrates. When compared to OVX females with blank implants, OVX females with E implants spent less time with castrated males. Like intact females, OVX and OVX-E-treated females preferred to stay in close proximity to but not actually in the cage of intact rather than castrated males. To our knowledge, this is the first experimental study of partner preference and its relationship to hormonal condition in a female marsupial.