Aortic valve sclerosis is an echocardiographic indicator of significant coronary disease in patients undergoing diagnostic coronary angiography

• Published in: International journal of clinical practice (Esher) Vol. 59; no. 1; pp. 72 - 77
• Main Authors: Hsu, S-Y., Hsieh, I-C., Chang, S-H., Wen, M-S., Hung, K-C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK; Malden, USA Blackwell Science Ltd 01.01.2005; Blackwell; Hindawi Limited
• Subjects: Aged; Angioplasty; Aortic Valve - diagnostic imaging; Aortic Valve - pathology; Aortic valve sclerosis; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiac Catheterization - methods; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular system; Clinical outcomes; Coronary Angiography - methods; coronary artery disease; Coronary Artery Disease - diagnostic imaging; echocardiography; Echocardiography - methods; Female; General aspects; Humans; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Male; Medical diagnosis; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Predictive Value of Tests; Regression Analysis; Retrospective Studies; Sclerosis; Sensitivity and Specificity; Ultrasonic investigative techniques; Human; Medicine; coronary artery disease; Echocardiography; Aortic valve sclerosis; Cardiovascular disease; Biological indicator; Coronary arteriography; Diagnosis; Coronary heart disease; Aortic valve; Sclerosis
• ISSN: 1368-5031; 1742-1241
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1742-1241.2004.00219.x

Summary Aortic valve sclerosis (AVS) is considered to be a manifestation of generalised atherosclerosis that involves the aortic valve. It has been associated with higher cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in a population‐based study. This investigation used transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) to evaluate the prevalence and significance of AVS in 357 Chinese patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). This work reveals that AVS is an independent echocardiographic predictor of significant CAD in such clinical setting (O.R. = 3.18; 95% confidence interval 1.52–6.7; p = 0.002). Other independent predictors include male gender, diabetes mellitus and hypertriglyceridemia. The predictive value of AVS for the presence of CAD is more prominent in females and in subjects aged <65 years. The recognition of AVS on TTE should alert the physicians to the possibility of underlying significant CAD, and further evaluation with aggressive management is indicated, even though no angiographic documentation is available.