Transcatheter Aortic Valves Boost Quality of Life
Major Finding: Patients who had severe aortic stenosis, were ineligible for surgery, and underwent transcatheter aortic valve implantation had a 25-point average improvement in their Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire summary score, compared with patients who were randomized to standard medical management at 12 months after valve placement. in all, 62% of patients who received a transcatheter aortic valve had a 20-point or greater rise in their summary score, a large clinical improvement compared with baseline. A similar 20-point rise occurred in 23% of the medically managed patients.
Data Source: The PARTNER trial, which randomized 358 inoperable patients with severe aortic stenosis to treatment with transcatheter aortic valve implantation or standard medical therapy.
Disclosures: The PARTNER study was funded by Edwards Lifesciences. Dr. Cohen said that he has received research funding from Edwards Lifesciences.
A series of subgroup analyses showed no interaction of these effects by TAVI with age, sex, surgical risk score, aortic valve gradient pressure, or the severity of comorbid chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Inoperable patients make up a small portion – about 5%-10% – of all patients with severe aortic stenosis, Dr. Cohen said. Other patients with severe aortic stenosis don’t undergo surgical valve replacement for other, unknown reasons; thus, about one-fifth to one-quarter of U.S. aortic stenosis patients with disease that is severe enough to warrant valve replacement surgery don’t get it, he added. Although truly inoperable patients are uncommon, they stand to gain markedly when the transcatheter valve system becomes routinely available. They have "the biggest unmet need," Dr. Cohen said.
The PARTNER study was funded by Edwards Lifesciences. Dr. Cohen said that he has received research funding from Edwards Lifesciences.
