Clinical and echocardiographic correlates of mortality in medically treated patients with severe isolated aortic stenosis and normal left ventricular ejection fraction.
BACKGROUND
Many symptomatic patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) are denied surgery and have a grim prognosis with medical management.


METHODS AND RESULTS
Between 2003 and 2012, among 550 patients with severe isolated AS and preserved LVEF on transthoracic echocardiography, 241 did not undergo aortic valve replacement (mean age, 83.2±7.6 years; 54% female; aortic valve area index, 0.40±0.13cm(2)/m(2); mean LVEF, 64.8±7.6%) and 67% presented with cardiac symptoms. At a mean follow-up of 25.5±25.1 months, 134 patients (56%) had died. Survival at 1, 5 and 9.5 years was 71%, 28% at 12%, respectively. Median survival was 36.3 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 27.2-42.4 months). In unadjusted analyses, age, heart failure, hypertension, renal insufficiency, left atrial size, pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP), relative wall thickness and LV mass/LV end diastolic volume ratio were associated with mortality. On multivariate analysis adjusted for all significant univariate predictors, age ≥78 years, history of hypertension, left atrial diameter ≥40mm and PASP ≥42mmHg gave a joint area under the curve of 0.80 (95% CI: 0.73-0.86) for mortality.


CONCLUSIONS
In medically treated patients with severe isolated AS and preserved LVEF, older age, history of hypertension, and echo-Doppler variables reflecting LV diastolic dysfunction are independent predictors of death.