Statins for progression of aortic valve stenosis and the best evidence for making decisions in health care

• Autor(a) principal: Thiago,Luciana
• Data de Publicação: 2011
• Outros Autores: Tsuj,Selma Rumiko, Atallah,Álvaro Nagib, Puga,Maria Eduarda dos Santos, Góis,Aécio Flávio Teixeira de
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: São Paulo medical journal (Online)
• Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1516-31802011000100008
• topic: Aortic valve stenosis; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitors; Atherosclerosis; Disease progression; Review [publication type]

In the Western world, calcified aortic valve stenosis is the most common form of valvular heart disease, affecting up to 3% of adults over the age of 75 years. It is a gradually progressive disease, characterized by a long asymptomatic phase that may last for several decades, followed by a short symptomatic phase associated with severe restriction of the valve orifice. Investigations on treatments for aortic valve stenosis are still in progress. Thus, it is believed that calcification of aortic valve stenosis is similar to the process of atherosclerosis that occurs in coronary artery disease. Recent studies have suggested that cholesterol lowering through the use of statins may have a salutary effect on the progression of aortic valve stenosis