Aortic stenosis – pathogenesis, prediction of progression, and percutaneous intervention

 

Aortic stenosis is common and an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Prevalence will increase significantly in forthcoming decades as a function of the ageing population; treatment by means of surgery or percutaneous intervention is expensive. Epidemiological, mechanistic and interventional studies are therefore vital to determine optimal and innovative treatments and their funding.

The evolution of advanced techniques for the management of symptomatic aortic stenosis in the elderly population: conventional surgical management vs transcatheter valve implantation

The shifting age demographic of the adult population has affected every area of contemporary medical and surgical practice. Many more people are living well, not just into their 70s but into their 80s and beyond. Their expectations of treatment for every illness have shifted markedly upwards at the same time. Despite the decline in cases of rheumatic fever in Westernised populations in recent times, the ageing population has led to no decline in the prevalence of valvular aortic stenosis. This is now realised to be an active pro-inflammatory disease, rather than a degenerative process.