الفهرس | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract Background: Several studies show that degenerative aortic valve disease is not an inevitable consequence of aging and may be associated with specific clinical factors including hypertension. Objectives:The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of aortic sclerosis and stenosis in hypertensive patients in the different age groups and to identify the potential value of 3D echocardiography in the diagnosis of aortic valve sclerosis. Methods: Our study included 193 patients aged between 40 and 80 years. All patients underwent clinical evaluation and transthoracic echocardiographic study (TTE) then 3-D echocardiography. The morphology of the aortic valve (AV) was assessed. An index score was used to describe the extent of valve calcification. Patients with aortic stenosis due to rheumatic valvular disease, prosthetic valves, bicuspid aortic valves, congenital heart disease, bacterial endocarditis, and known hyperparathyroidism as well as those with renal impairment (creatinine clearance (CrCl) {u02C2} 60 ml/min) were excluded from the study |