title: Lipid profile of patients with aortic stenosis might be predictive of rate of progression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aortic stenosis is one of the most commonly encountered valvular pathology requiring surgery in developed countries. There are similarities between risk factors for coronary atherosclerosis and the development of aortic stenosis. We designed a retrospective study, evaluated the lipid profile and previous echocardiographic recordings of patients with aortic stenosis, and searched the association of rate of progression and lipid profile.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The annual rates of progression in the peak and mean aortic gradients were 8.5 +/- 3.2 and 6.7 +/- 2.2 mm Hg/year, respectively. We classified the annual rate of progression of peak aortic gradient into 2 groups, group 1 with <10 mm Hg ("slow progressors") and group 2 with > or =10 mm Hg annual rate of progression ("fast progressors"). The annual rate of progression in group 1 was significantly higher than that in group 2, both in peak and mean aortic gradients (12 +/- 2 mm Hg and 6.4 +/- 1.6 mm Hg; 9 +/- 1.3 mm Hg and 5.2 +/- 1.1 mmHg; P <.001 for both). There was a highly significant difference between group 1 and group 2 for total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level ratio (7.1 +/- 1.4 vs 5.2 +/- 1.3, P <.001). There was a significant correlation between annual rate of progression in peak gradient and total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol level ratio (r = 0.399, P =.009). Smoking (P =.024, Beta = 0.26), presence of coronary heart disease (P =.011, Beta = 0.31), and total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol level ratio (P =.004, Beta = 1.98) were independently predictive of fast progression of the peak aortic gradient in the regression analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In a small group of patients from Turkey with aortic stenosis, there seems to be an association between the rate of progression and total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol level ratio, with fast progression occurring in the group with higher ratios.
authors.affiliation: Yuksek Ihtisas Hospital, Cardiology Clinic, Sihhiye, Ankara, Turkey. cardioceptor@ttnet.net.tr
authors.forename: Mehmet Birhan
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: Umit
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Guray
authors.forename: Yesim
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guray
authors.forename: Gokhan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cihan
authors.forename: Vedat
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Caldir
authors.forename: Serkan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cay
authors.forename: Halil L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Kisacik
authors.forename: Sule
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Korkmaz
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D002784:Cholesterol