Aortic valve sclerosis in patients with peripheral and/or coronary arterial disease.
BACKGROUND
Aortic valve sclerosis (AVS) is a marker of cardiovascular risk; its prevalence increases in elderly and in patients with hypertension and/or coronary arterial disease (CAD). There are no data available in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and with both CAD and PAD.


METHODS
To investigate the presence of AVS, 57 patients with stable CAD, 38 with PAD, and 62 with CAD + PAD where studied by echocardiography.


RESULTS
The prevalence of AVS progressively increased within groups (P = 0.005). The prevalence of AVS in PAD doubled that in CAD group (42.1% vs. 22.8%, P < 0.05). PAD patients had a 4.634 (95% CI: 1.02-17.88; P = 0.026) fold increased risk of AVS compared to CAD. Also CAD + PAD group had a higher prevalence of aortic sclerosis when compared to CAD group (50.8% vs. 22.8%, P = 0.001). CAD + PAD showed a 3.799 (95% CI: 1.26-11.45; P < 0 .01) fold greater risk of aortic sclerosis than CAD group. There were no differences in AVS prevalence between CAD + PAD and PAD group (50.8% vs. 42.1%; P = 0.36). Age was related to AVS in both analysis (PAD vs. CAD and CAD + PAD vs. CAD: OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.02-1.16, P = 0.011 and OR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.07-1.21; P < 0.001) but no classical cardiovascular risk factors.


CONCLUSIONS
PAD patients have an elevated prevalence of AVS greater than CAD patients. In patients with both disease, the prevalence of AVS is similar to that of patients with PAD alone.
Losi
Maria-Angela
MA
Department of Clinical Medicine, Cardiovascular & Immunological Sciences, Federico II University School of Medicine, Naples, Italy. losi@unina.it
Brevetti
Gregorio
G
Schiano
Vittorio
V
Barbati
Giovanni
G
Parisi
Valentina
V
Contaldi
Carla
C
Chiacchio
Elena
E
Cavallaro
Massimo
M
Carpinella
Gerardo
G
Fundaliotis
Angelica
A
Parrella
Lucia-Serena
LS
Betocchi
Sandro
S
Brevetti
Linda
L
Chiariello
Massimo
M
D000368:Aged; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058729:Peripheral Arterial Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012598:Sclerosis