Of the nearly 1.5 million people in the US with aortic stenosis, 500,000 cases are severe.1 Yet approximately 40%-60% of the patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis (AS) do not receive valve replacement, leading to earlier mortality. But you can help change that by starting the right conversation with your patients. Many patients underreport symptoms, thinking they are normal signs of aging, which delays treatment. Asking patients to elaborate on changes to activities may uncover overlooked symptoms.2-10
Planning for aortic valve replacement as soon as symptoms occur gives severe AS patients the best possible chance at survival. Without proper and timely intervention, your severe AS patient's risk of death increases.9,11
Select the estimated number of patients 75 and older you see per week:*
*Based on a 48-week working year. Number calculated from pooled prevalence of all severe aortic stenosis in the elderly (12.4%).12
References: 1. Facts and Figures. John Muir Health website. www.johnmuirhealth.com/services/cardiovascular-services/intervention/transcatheter-aortic-valve-replacement/facts-and-figures.html. Accessed February 7, 2019. 2. Bach D, Siao D, Girard S, Duvernoy C, McCallister B, Gualano S. Evaluation of patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis who do not undergo aortic valve replacement: the potential role of subjectively overestimated operative risk. Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes. 2009;2(6):533-539. 3. Freed B, Sugeng L, Furlong K, et al. Reasons for nonadherence to guidelines for aortic valve replacement in patients with severe aortic stenosis and potential solutions. Am J Cardiol. 2010;105(9):1339-1342. 4. Bouma B, van den Brink R, van der Meulen J, et al. To operate or not on elderly patients with aortic stenosis: the decision and its consequences. Heart. 1999;82(2):143-148. 5. Pellikka P, Sarano M, Nishimura R, et al. Outcome of 622 adults with asymptomatic, hemodynamically significant aortic stenosis during prolonged follow-up. Circulation. 2005;111(24):3290-3295. 6. Charlson E, Legedza A, Hamel M. Decision-making and outcomes in severe symptomatic aortic stenosis. J Heart Valve Dis. 2006;15(3):312-321. 7. Varadarajan P, Kapoor N, Banscal RC, Pai RG. Clinical profile and natural history of 453 nonsurgically managed patients with severe aortic stenosis. Ann Thorac Surg. 2006;82(6):2111-2115. 8. Jan F, Andreev M, Mori N, Janosik B, Sagar K. Unoperated patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis. Circulation. 2009;120:S753. 9. Otto CM. VALVE DISEASE: timing of aortic valve surgery. Heart. 2000;84(2):211-218. 10. Alliance for aging research gets to the heart of aortic stenosis. Alliance for Aging Research website. www.agingresearch.org/press-release/alliance-for-aging-research-gets-to-the-heart-of-aortic-stenosis. Accessed February 7, 2019. 11. Malaisrie SC, McDonald E, Kruse J, et al. Mortality while waiting for aortic valve replacement. Ann Thorac Surg. 2014;98:1564-71. 12. Osnabrugge RL, 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(11):1002–1012.