Treating Aortic Valve Stenosis With HDL-Increasing Drugs

April 28th, 2008

A future conversation between a cardiologist and a patient may go something like this:

Cardiologist Says: I’m afraid you have been diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis.

Patient Says: Oh nooooh!

Cardiologist Says: Would you like to swallow a pill or have open heart surgery?

Patient Says: Hmmmm… I’ll take the pill please!

Talk about preventative! Here is a promising, possibility for treating aortic stenosis without surgery!

Treatment Of Aortic Stenosis With Drug Injections - HDL

Newsmax is reporting that a new medication can slow the narrowing of aortic valves and potentially eliminate the need for open heart surgery to replace aortic valves. Scientists from the University of Montreal say the treatment is based on raising high-density lipoproteins (HDL), the “good” cholesterol, in patients suffering from aortic valve stenosis.

Aortic valve stenosis, in which the aortic valve is narrowed causing a difference in blood pressure between the heart and the rest of the body, is the most common form of heart disease in America. Without surgery, its victims are in danger of heart failure and sudden death. Like me, about 50,000 people undergo aortic valve replacement surgery in the United States each year.

In an animal study, after only two weeks of injections of a drug based on raising HDL levels, the aortic valve openings returned to almost normal compared to a 13 percent improvement in the control group which only eliminated a high fat diet.

“We are delighted to see that the new type of drug used, based on HDL, led to the regression of the aortic valve stenosis in an experimental model,” said lead scientist Dr. Jean-Claude Tardiff. “This new medical option could possibly provide us with an alternative to the cardiac surgery of aortic valve replacement.”

Keep on tickin!

About The Author: Adam Pick is a double, heart valve surgery patient and author of The Patient's Guide To Heart Valve Surgery. This unique book integrates clinical research with the personal experiences of 135 former patients to help future patients and their caregivers better understand the problems, the opportunities and the realities of heart valve surgery. To learn more about Adam and his heart valve surgery book, click here.