Table 1. Baseline clinical characteristics of the study population and comparison based on improvement in PWV following AVR.
| Overall population (n = 38) | PWV worsened (n = 18) | PWV improved (n = 20) | p | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 59.0 ± 16.1 | 62.8 ± 12.1 | 55.6 ± 18.4 | 0.016 |
| Gender, n (male %) | 28 (74) | 12 (67) | 16 (80) | 0.365 |
| BSA (m2) | 1.85 ± 0.18 | 1.90 ± 0.16 | 1.81 ± 0.19 | 0.197 |
| NYHA Class | 2.3 ± 0.8 | 2.7 ± 0.7 | 2.1 ± 0.8 | 0.009 |
| NYHA III-IV, n (%) | 19 (50) | 13 (72) | 6 (30) | 0.008 |
| Hypertension, n (%) | 22 (58) | 10 (56) | 12 (60) | 0.382 |
| Diabetes, n (%) | 16 (42) | 7 (39) | 9 (45) | 0.263 |
| Atrial fibrillation, n (%) | 10 (26) | 6 (33) | 4 (20) | 0.165 |
| Medication, n (%) | ||||
| β-blocker | 19 (50) | 10 (56) | 9 (45) | 0,856 |
| ACE/ARB | 16 (42) | 9 (45) | 7 (39) | 0.263 |
| Statin | 8 (21) | 3 (17) | 5 (25) | 0.154 |
| Aspirin | 25 (66) | 11 (61) | 14 (70) | 0.564 |
| Coronary artery disease, n (%) | 20 (53) | 11 (61) | 9 (45) | 0.112 |
| Bicuspid aortic valve, n (%) | 13 (34) | 7 (39) | 6 (30) | 0.654 |
| Concomitant CABG, n (%) | 12 (31) | 8 (44) | 4 (20) | 0.038 |
| Bentall procedure, n (%) | 15 (39) | 4 (22) | 11 (55) | 0.012 |
| LVEF (%) | 58.0 ± 6.7 | 57.8 ± 6.4 | 58.1 ± 7.1 | 0.445 |
| LV hypertrophy, n (%) | 24 (63) | 14 (78) | 10 (50) | 0.023 |
| Ascendan aort diameter (mm) | 42.1 ± 7.4 | 41.0 ± 6.7 | 43.3 ± 7.1 | 0.246 |
| Max. aortic gradient (mmHg) | 72.7 ± 11.9 | 76.5 ± 14.2 | 69.2 ± 8.4 | 0.072 |
| Mean aortic gradient (mmHg) | 47.1 ± 6.4 | 47.3 ± 7.0 | 46.8 ± 5.8 | 0.121 |
| AVA (cm2) | 0.82 ± 0.15 | 0.72 ± 0.13 | 0.91 ± 0.11 | <0.001 |
| AVA index (cm2/m2) | 0.45 ± 0.11 | 0.38 ± 0.08 | 0.51 ± 0.09 | <0.001 |
| Baseline PWV (m/sec) | 9.07 ± 1.28 | 9.65 ± 1.37 | 8.53 ± 0.94 | 0.005 |
| Follow-up PWV (m/sec) | 9.24 ± 1.81 | 10.76 ± 1.31 | 7.88 ± 0.84 | <0.001 |
Values are shown as n (%) for categorical variables and means ± standard deviation for continuous variables. AVR: aortic valve replacement; BSA: body surface area; CABG: coronary artery bypass graft; CPB: cardiopulmonary bypass; PWV: pulse wave velocity; NYHA: New York Heart Association; LVEF: left ventricular ejection fraction; AVA: aortic valve area; ACEi: angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor; ARB: angiotensin II receptor blockers