Exercise testing in asymptomatic aortic stenosis.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the safety of exercise testing (ET) in patients with moderate or severe asymptomatic aortic stenosis (AAS) and its accuracy to predict the need for surgery and mortality.


METHODS
106 consecutive patients with AAS performed a maximal ET.


RESULTS
Follow-up [10.7 (4.9-19.4) months (percentile 25-75)] was completed in 102 patients (96.2%), 63.9 years (+/-15.1), 65 (61.3%) male, peak gradient 82.8 mm Hg (+/-25.4), mean gradient 50.5 mm Hg (+/-16.6), valve area 0.67 cm(2) (+/-0.16); 67 patients (65.7%) had abnormal ET. Among the 35 patients with normal ET, there were no deaths and 10 aortic valve replacements (AVR) (28.5%) were performed. Among the 67 patients with abnormal ET, 37 (55.2%) had events (35 AVR and 2 died) (p <0.0001). There were no complications with ET.


CONCLUSIONS
ET may be performed safely in patients with AAS. ET gives additional information to an AVR decision.
Peidro
Roberto
R
Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Department, Favaloro Foundation, Buenos Aires, Argentina. rpeidro@ffavaloro.org
Brión
Graciela
G
Angelino
Arnaldo
A
D000368:Aged; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011300:Preoperative Care; D012449:Safety; D016896:Treatment Outcome