Acute Valve Syndrome Before Aortic Valve Replacement: Impact on Clinical Outcomes, Health Care Costs, and Resource...

A classification system describing clinical presentation before aortic valve replacement (AVR) has recently been proposed (stable valve syndrome [SVS]), mildly symptomatic (progressive valve syndrome), or with acute and severe signs and symptoms (acute valve syndrome [AVS]). We aimed to evaluate the clinical impact, health care costs, and resource use associated with the mode of clinical presentation at the time of AVR among patients presenting with aortic stenosis.

Using the Market Clarity database (2017-2023), patients >18 years old with aortic stenosis and undergoing AVR (transcatheter or surgical) were included. Patients were categorized as SVS, progressive valve syndrome, or AVS based on their clinical presentation during the 1 year before AVR. All-cause death, heart failure hospitalization, total health care costs (index hospitalization plus 1-year follow-up), and resource use were compared across clinical presentation groups using adjusted regression models.

Of the 24 075 patients undergoing AVR for aortic stenosis, 270 (1.1%) had SVS, 10 195 (42.3%) progressive valve syndrome, and 13 610 (56.5%) AVS. Compared with SVS, AVS presentation was associated with increased risk of 1-year death (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 2.93 [95% CI, 1.1-7.8]; P=0.03) and heart failure hospitalization (aHR, 4.15 [95% CI, 1.6-11.1]; P<0.01) after AVR. The total costs of AVR and 1-year follow-up were significantly higher in both the progressive valve syndrome (difference $27 410 [$13 507-$41 314]) and AVS groups (difference $36 267 [$22 302-$50 232]) compared with patients with SVS.

AVS was frequent among patients undergoing AVR and was associated with increase in death, heart failure hospitalization, health care costs, and resource use 1 year after AVR, and SVS presentation was associated with the best clinical and economic outcomes.