BACKGROUND: Contemporary data regarding the impact of comorbidities on the clinical presentation and management of patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) are scarce. METHODS: Prospective registry of severe patients with AS across 23 centres in nine European countries.
RESULTS: Of the 2171 patients, chronic kidney disease (CKD 27.3%), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) =2 of these). The decision to perform aortic valve replacement (AVR) was taken in a comparable proportion (67%, 72% and 69%, in patients with 0, 1 and >=2 comorbidities; p=0.186).
However, the decision for TAVI was more common with more comorbidities (35.4%, 54.0% and 57.0% for no, 1 and >=2; p=2 comorbidities than in those without (8.7%, 10.0% and 15.7%; p=2 comorbidities (30.8 days) than in those without (35.7 days; p=0.012). Patients with reduced LVEF tended to be offered an AVR more frequently and with a shorter delay while patients with CKD were less frequently treated.
CONCLUSIONS: Comorbidities in severe patients with AS affect the presentation and management of patients with severe AS. TAVI was offered more often than SAVR and performed within a shorter time period.