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Undertreatment of patients with sSAS

AS is often undertreated — one study found that 56% of severe symptomatic aortic stenosis (sSAS) patients referred to a cardiothoracic surgeon were not operated on.

Prevalence & Characteristics of Unoperated Patients with Severe AS Awareness of HVD The. Journal of Heart Valve Disease. 2011; 20(3). https://experts.umich.edu/en/publications/prevalence-and-characteristics-of-unoperated-patients-with-severe

Reference

Title
Prevalence & Characteristics of Unoperated Patients with Severe AS Awareness of HVD The
Publication
Journal of Heart Valve Disease
Publication Date
2011
Volume & Issue
Volume 20, Issue 3
URL
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Categories

  • Cost of Disease
  • Prevalence & Incidence
  • Human Value

Publications

Aortic Stenosis Fact Sheet

 https://www.silverbook.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/AS-FS-cover.png Thumbnail

Connected Facts

Aortic Stenosis

Detection rate of heart murmurs

More than 40% of heart murmurs — detected with a stethoscope and sometimes the first sign of heart valve disease (HVD) — are missed by family practitioners.

Prevalence & Incidence, Human Burden

Aortic Stenosis

Many cases of HVD are diagnosed during a routine physical check-up

Six in 10 patients did not have or recognize symptoms of heart valve disease (HVD) and were only diagnosed after going to their doctor for a regular check-up or a visit for something else.

Aortic Stenosis

HVD patients knew little prior to their diagnosis

More than 2/3 of valve disease patients knew a limited amount or nothing about heart valve disease (HVD) before their diagnosis.

Aortic Stenosis

Many Americans know nothing about HVD

Of those Americans surveyed ages 65+, 30% know nothing about heart valve disease (HVD).

Aortic Stenosis

American knowledge of HVD

A survey of Americans found that only 1 in 4 know “somewhat” or a “great deal” about heart valve disease (HVD). Forty percent know nothing about the disease.

Related Facts

  • Aortic stenosis impacts majority of heart valve disease patients
    Aortic stenosis (AS) is among the most common forms of heart valve disease (HVD), affecting 2% to 3% of the adult U.S. population.  
  • Survival Rates Over 5 Years for Patients with Medically Managed Severe Aortic Stenosis
     
  • 2016 prevalence of Americans 65+ who had AVD
    In 2016, an estimated 5.2 million U.S. adults ages 65+ had aortic valve disease (AVD).   Note: Alliance for Aging Research generated statistic, based on 2005 percentage prevalence estimates by Bach et al. 2007  
  • Medicare patients with sSAS have an average lifespan of 1.8 years without repair or replacement
     
  • 1 and 6-month mortality rates without treatment for sSAS
    Waiting for treatment for severe symptomatic aortic stenosis (sSAS) can be deadly, with 1-month mortality at 3.7% and 6-month mortality at 11.6% (measured from the time intervention was recommended).