Published online Jun 26, 2010. doi: 10.4330/wjc.v2.i6.135
Revised: June 9, 2010
Accepted: June 16, 2010
Published online: June 26, 2010
Aortic stenosis (AS) is the most common valvular heart disease in the world. It is a disease of the elderly and as our population is getting older in both the developed and the developing world, there has been an increase in the prevalence of AS. It is impacting the mortality and morbidity of our elderly population. It is also causing a huge burden on the healthcare system. There has been tremendous progress in our understanding of AS in recent years. Lately, studies have shown that AS is not just a disease of the aortic valve but it affects the entire systemic vasculature. There are studies looking at more sophisticated measures of disease severity that might better predict the optimal timing of valve replacement. The improvement in our understanding in etiology and pathophysiology of the disease process has led to a number of trials with possible treatment options for AS. In this review, we talk about our understanding of the disease and latest developments in disease assessment and management. We look forward to a time when there will be medical treatment for AS.