[Clinical profile of aged patients with severe aortic stenosis]. / Perfíl clínico de idosos portadores de estenose aórtica severa.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To evaluate clinical symptoms and echocardiographic findings in elderly patients with severe aortic stenosis and possible gender differences. METHODS: We studied 54 patients, 24 (44.5%) males and 30 (55.5%) females aged 80.7 +/- 5.2 years with severe aortic stenosis. The following variables were analyzed presence of clinical manifestations (dyspnea, angina, and syncope) and echocardiographic indices (left ventricular [LV] dimensions, ejection fraction [EF], and mass index). RESULTS: Dyspnea was the most frequent symptom with overall prevalence of 44%. EF was lower than 50% in only 2 patients. There were no gender differences in the prevalence of any of the clinical manifestations. Male patients had higher LV volumes (p < 0.05) and lower EF (p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: The data showing dyspnea as the most common clinical manifestation; EF > 50%; lower LV volumes and greater EF in female patients suggest that the adaptive mechanisms to this condition may be different between the two sexes.