Abstract 9260: Rate of Progression of Aortic Stenosis in Patients With Cirrhosis

Introduction: There is currently no published data studying the effect that cirrhosis may have on the rate of progression of aortic stenosis (AS). We hypothesize that AS may have accelerated progression in patients with cirrhosis compared with the general population due to high stroke volumes, hyperdynamic left ventricular function, and a pro-inflammatory state. The aim of this study is to determine the rate of progression of AS in patients with cirrhosis, elucidate risk factors, and assess progression based on the severity of cirrhosis as determined by Model for End Stage Liver Disease (MELD-Na) scores. Methods: This single center retrospective study included 48 patients with the diagnosis of cirrhosis and at least mild AS confirmed by two or more transthoracic echocardiograms (TTEs) taken ≥ 6 months apart. Historical data describing rates of AS progression in non-cirrhotic patients were used for comparison. Results: There was not a significant difference in the rate of AS progression between patients with cirrhosis and those without (table). Using univariate regression analysis, the yearly rate of aortic valve area (AVA) decline was positively correlated with the diagnosis of hyperlipidemia (HLD) (r=.228, P=0.047, B=0.116), initial AVA (r=0.504, P<0.001, B=0.224), initial left ventricular outflow track to aortic valve velocity time integral ratio (LVOT:AV VTI) (r=0.519, P<0.001, B=0.75) and initial left-ventricular stroke volume index (LV-SVI) (r=0.385, P=0.0070, B=0.0070). The yearly decrease of the LVOT:AV peak velocity ratio was inversely correlated with beta-blocker use (r=0.313, P=0.030, B=-0.047). There was not a significant relationship between MELD-Na scores and the rate of AS progression. Conclusion: Patients with cirrhosis can expect a similar rate of AS progression compared with those without cirrhosis. A higher initial LV-SVI and a history of HLD were both associated with faster AS progression in our study cohort.