2012 Volume 52 Issue January Pages 35-39
The number of aortic valve stenoses (AS) caused by arteriosclerosis increases recently. The aim of this study was to determine the association of AS and arteriosclerosis-related disease. 60 patients with valvular AS and peak aortic jet pressure gradient of more than or equal to 36 mmHg, diagnosed by Doppler echocardiography, were identified in our database from 1995 to 2005. In patients who underwent aortic valve replacement (AVR), survival rate of patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) was 63%, 50%, and 33% while survival rate of patients without PAD was 100%, 85%, and 59% at 1, 5, and 10 years. In patients who have not undergone AVR, survival rate with PAD was 63% and 13%, while those without PAD was 96% and 61% at 1 and 5 years. All patients with PAD complicated another arteriosclerosis-related disease and most of them died from cardiovascular disease. This study is a retrospective study. Although the population is not large enough and the evaluation of AS is diagnosed only by pressure gradient of echocardiography, this study indicates the possibility that combination with PAD influence the mortality rate of AS. It may be important to control progression of arteriosclerosis for improvement in survival rates of AS.