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Published on: February 14, 2017
Severe aortic stenosis echocardiographic thresholds revisited
Shmuel Schwartzenberg1, Mordehay Vatury1, Maya Wiessman1
1The Department of Cardiology, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Hospital, Petah Tikva, Israel, affiliated with the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Insights
Aortic valve area (AVA) and Doppler velocity index (DVI) are key indicators for identifying severe aortic stenosis (AS). Thresholds of AVA ≤ 0.81 cm² or DVI ≤ 0.249 effectively predict the need for aortic valve replacement (AVR) or death.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Echocardiography
- Medical Diagnostics
Background:
- Hemodynamic indices for severe aortic stenosis (AS) lack consistent threshold values.
- The relative contribution of each variable in classifying AS for aortic valve replacement (AVR) indication is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the discriminative value and optimal thresholds of hemodynamic parameters for AS classification.
- To confirm the prognostic value of these parameters for AVR or death.
Main Methods:
- Included 168 patients with moderate AS undergoing echocardiography.
- Dichotomized AS types and assessed Aortic Valve Area (AVA), Doppler Velocity Index (DVI), and other hemodynamic parameters for discrimination.
- Determined optimal thresholds and evaluated dichotomized values for predicting AVR or death.
Main Results:
- AVA and DVI showed the highest discriminative value (C-statistic .74-.9) for AS classification.
- Optimal thresholds: AVA ≤ 0.81 cm² and DVI ≤ 0.249, with high sensitivity and specificity.
- All tested dichotomized variables, except Stroke Volume Index (SVI), independently predicted AVR or death during follow-up.
Conclusions:
- AVA ≤ 0.81 cm² or DVI ≤ 0.249 thresholds are highly valuable for identifying severe AS.
- These thresholds possess independent prognostic value, aiding clinical decision-making for patients with aortic stenosis.
Background:
In view of inconsistencies in threshold values of severe aortic stenosis (AS) hemodynamic indices, it is unclear what is the relative contribution of each variable in a binary classification of AS based on aortic valve replacement (AVR) indication. We aimed to assess relative discriminative value and optimal threshold of each constituent hemodynamic parameter for this classification and confirm additional prognostic value.
Methods:
Echocardiography studies of 168 patients with ≥ moderate AS were included. AS types were dichotomized into Group-A, comprising moderate and Normal-Flow Low-Gradient (NFLG), and Group-B, comprising High-Gradient(HG), Low Ejection Fraction Low-Flow Low-Gradient(Low EF-LFLG), and Paradoxical Low-Flow Low-Gradient(PLFLG) AS. Aortic valve area (AVA), Doppler velocity index (DVI), peak aortic velocity, mean gradient, stroke volume index and transaortic flow rate(TFR) were assessed for A/B Group discrimination value and optimal thresholds were determined. Dichotomized values were assessed for predictive value for AVR or death.
Results:
C-statistic values for binary AS classification was .74-.9 for the tested variables. AVA and DVI featured the highest score, and SVI the lowest one. AVA≤.81 cm2 and DVI≤.249 had 87.6% and 86% respective sensitivity for Group B patients, and a similar specificity of 80.9%. During a mean follow-up of 9.1±10.1 months, each of the tested dichotomized variables except for SVI predicted AVR or death on multivariate analysis.
Conclusion:
An AVA value ≤.81 cm2 or a DVI ≤ .249 threshold carry the highest discriminative value for severe AS in patients with aortic stenosis, translating into an independent prognostic value, and can be helpful in making clinical decisions.
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