Aortic valve sclerosis is a sign of increased arterial stiffness in clinically asymptomatic subjects

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Published on: December 2, 2014

Levent Korkmaz1, Mustafa Tarık Ağaç, Huseyin Bektas

  • 1Department of Cardiology, Ahi Evren Cardiovascular and ThoracicSurgery Training and Research Hospital, Trabzon, Turkey. l.korkmaz@yahoo.com.

Cardiology Journal
|June 22, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Increased arterial stiffness, measured by cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI), is linked to aortic valve sclerosis (AVS). This finding helps identify patients at higher cardiovascular risk than traditional scores suggest.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Vascular Medicine
  • Diagnostic Imaging

Background:

  • Classic cardiovascular risk scores may underestimate risk in certain patient groups.
  • Arterial stiffness is a known cardiovascular risk indicator, predicting events beyond traditional factors.
  • The cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) is a novel marker for arterial stiffness.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between CAVI, a marker of arterial stiffness, and aortic valve sclerosis (AVS).

Main Methods:

  • Eighty patients with AVS and 80 controls were assessed.
  • Arterial stiffness was measured using the VaSera-1000 CAVI instrument.
  • AVS was diagnosed via echocardiography, identifying aortic valve thickening and calcification.

Main Results:

  • CAVI was significantly higher in patients with AVS compared to controls (10.5 ± 2.7 vs. 8.6 ± 1.4, p < 0.001).
  • AVS prevalence was higher with abnormal CAVI values (69%) versus borderline (27%) and normal (20%) (p < 0.001).
  • Multivariate analysis confirmed CAVI as an independent determinant of AVS (95% CI 1.39-2.44, p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

  • Elevated arterial stiffness, indicated by CAVI, may identify patients misclassified as low or moderate risk.
  • Echocardiographic assessment of the aortic valve can help identify individuals with increased cardiovascular risk due to arterial stiffness.
Abstract

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