Moderate Aortic Stenosis With Cardiac Damage: A New Type of Severe Aortic Stenosis

The clinical implications of severe aortic stenosis have been well established. Understanding of moderate aortic stenosis, however, continues to evolve. Athough moderate aortic stenosis may be less clinically impactful in patients with normal ventricular function, it may carry prognostic significance in those patients with a ventricle exhibiting signs of cardiac damage. Moderate aortic stenosis in the presence of cardiac damage or dysfunction may be prognostically comparable to that of severe aortic stenosis. Extravalvular risk parameters can inform aortic stenosis risk stratification. Three ongoing trials seek to evaluate transcatheter aortic valve assessment in patients with moderate aortic stenosis and signs of cardiac damage or left ventricular dysfunction.