"The onus is on us as cardiologists to make sure we offer the very best possible devices for our patients with the available data that we have," interventional cardiologist Anene Ukaigwe, MD, explained.
Women with cardiovascular disease are consistently underdiagnosed and undertreated compared to men, and those disparities are true for aortic stenosis as well. Women with symptomatic severe AS are up to 35% less likely than men to undergo aortic valve replacement, for example, and they often have to wait longer just to be referred for further care.
TAVR is a go-to treatment for symptomatic severe aortic stenosis in much of the world, thanks in large part to the hard work of research teams that never stop looking for new, innovative ways to make the technology more effective.
TAVR procedures have surged more than 30% since 2020, with more than 107,000 patients receiving a new prosthetic valve in 2023 alone. As this trend continues, it’s increasingly important that cardiologists consider the long-term impact on future coronary interventions patients may need.
Physicians and researchers complete thousands of clinical trials each year, but some findings prove far more significant than others. For cardiologist Dharmesh Patel, MD, the results of the SMART trial have changed the way he’s managing and recommending treatment for women with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis.
Just-released valvular heart disease guidelines favor transcatheter interventions for the right patient and more shared decision-making among heart teams, physicians and severe aortic stenosis patients with an eye toward types of valves and approaches, and lifetime benefits and risks.
Learn from four leading cardiologists on the movement of TAVR into this low-risk patient population, how hospitals are increasing awareness among physicians and patients and the importance of connecting patients with heart teams.
