I was just listening to Dr. John Hong, M.D. discuss aortic stenosis on a webcast.

The data shared by Dr. Hong was quite alarming, even for me (considering my ongoing research into heart valve disorders). Specifically, Dr. Hong presented mortality rates for asymptomatic patients diagnosed but not treated for[1] aortic stenosis, one of the more common heart valve disorders.

What caught me by surprise, during Dr. Hong’s discussion, was the significant mortality rates of patients with severe aortic stenosis.

As you can see on the chart above, a diagnosis of aortic stenosis should not be treated lightly - as 74% of asymptomatic patients die after 5 years without treatment (aortic valve repair or aortic valve replacement).

Had I known this information, I would have never skipped any of my yearly echocardiograms following the initial diagnosis of my bicuspid aortic valve in 1977. Although I was asymptomatic and my heart was dilated at the time of my secondary diagnosis (in 2005), luckily I had aortic valve replacement prior to congestive heart failure.

Phew!!!

I am hopeful this information helps you best understand how critical it is to continually monitor mild, moderate and severe cases of heart valve stenosis.

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, a unique book which integrates the clinical facts of heart valve surgery with the personal experiences of 78 former valve surgery patients. [2] To learn more about Adam and his heart valve surgery book, click here.