How does aortic stenosis
affect the aortic valve?
A patient with aortic stenosis will experience calcification, lipid deposition, and inflammatory
infiltration of the aortic valve leaflets. Over time, these leaflets become increasingly stiff, leading to a
narrowing of the heart valve opening, obstructing blood flow and forcing the heart to pump harder.2
How common is aortic stenosis?
In order to understand the prevalence of the disease,
please enter an estimate of the number of patients over 75 you see per week:
Elderly patients you see per year with aortic stenosis4
Patients who have moderate or severe aortic stenosis4
Patients who won’t survive past 2 years if left untreated5
It is likely that these numbers will only increase as
populations continue to age. How many patients
have you suspected of aortic stenosis?

Once symptoms appear in patients with severe AS, life expectancy
is severely reduced.3

Aortic stenosis can be latent in patients for a number of years, but once symptoms manifest life expectancy is significantly reduced.7

Listen.
The murmur typically associated with aortic stenosis is a harsh systolic
ejection murmur, with a single or paradoxically split second heart sound.
Listen below to compare this to a normal heartbeat.

stenosis

Sound recording courtesy of Thinklabs. Recorded on a Thinklabs stethoscope.
Resources
To support you in your practice a number of aortic stenosis educational materials have been developed, including materials to support patient consultation. All resources can be posted directly to your practice and are provided at no charge.

Aortic Stenosis an Overview
Brochure for primary care physicians, containing a details on Clinical evaluation, Guidelines and Treatment: from Surgery to Current Indications for TAVI

Patient Brochure - What is Aortic Stenosis
Brochure for patients who have been diagnosed with aortic stenosis. Provides understanding of the disease and reassurance about treatment options.

Aortic Stenosis Brochure for Professionals
Brochure for primary care physicians, containing a brief summary of aortic stenosis prevalence, diagnosis, treatment options and current data.

Patient Brochure - Have you been told you have a Heart Murmur
Brochure for patients with a suspected heart murmur. Supports in their understanding of heart valve disease and referral pathway.
Personal Information
References
- Bouma BJ, van den Brink RBA, van der Meulen JHP et al. To operate or not on elderly patients with aortic stenosis: the decision and its consequences. Heart 1999 Aug; 82: 143–8.
- Grimard BH, Larson JM. Aortic Stenosis: diagnosis and treatment. Am Fam Physician 2008;78:717–24
- Otto CM. Timing of aortic valve surgery. Heart 2000;84:211–218
- Osnabrugge RLJ, Mylotte D, Head SJ et al. Aortic stenosis in the elderly: disease prevalence and number of candidates for transcatheter aortic valve replacement: a meta-analysis and modeling Study. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2013;62:1002–12.
- Otto CM. Timing of aortic valve surgery. Heart 2000; 84:211–218
- Alliance for Aging Research. Aortic Stenosis: Under-Diagnosed and Under-Treated. 2010. https://www.agingresearch.or/newsletters/view/36. Accessed August 12, 2016
- Carabello BA. Introduction to aortic stenosis. Circ Res 2013;113:179–85
- Vahanian et al. Guidelines on the management of valvular heart disease (version 2012). Eur. Heart J. 2012;33:2451–2496
- Dr Wern Yew Ding, Dr Unni Krishnan. Aortic Valve disease: Clinical Review. GP Online. 2016. http://www.gponline.com/aortic-valve-disease-clinical-review/cardiovascular-system/article/990063 . Accessed March 13th, 2017.
- Nishimura RA, Otto CM, Bonow RO et al. 2014 AHA/ACC Guideline for the management of patients with valvular heart disease: Executive summary. Circulation 2014; 10;129:2440–92.