Effect of sodium lactate on patients with panic disorder and mitral valve prolapse

Using the RDC criteria for panic disorder we found that 8 of the 16 patients had mitral valve prolapse. The 8 patients with the disorder included 7 women and 1 man; the mean group age was 41 yr. The 8 patients with normal mitral valves were 4 women and 4 men who had a mean group age of 38 yr. This sex difference was expected, given the known predominance of the disorder in women. The groups were identical with respect to ECG findings and presence of agoraphobia. Four of the 8 patients without mitral valve prolapse and 4 of the 8 patients with the disorder experienced a panic attack during the lactate infusion. For the 4 patients with mitral valve prolapse the mean time from the beginning of the infusion to the beginning of the panic attack was 13.5 minutes; for the four patients without mitral valve prolapse the time was 16.0 minutes. This difference is not statistically significant, although the sample is too small to allow a powerful test.