Aortic valve replacement improves function but may not improve quality of life

Date: Feb-17-2014Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) improves functional status but may not improve overall quality of life, according to an article being published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Aortic stenosis (AS) is the most common valvular heart disease in developing countries and it affects up to 3 percent of adults older than 75. In recent years, TAVR has emerged as an alternative treatment to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) for high-risk or inoperable patients with symptomatic severe AS.
Researchers reviewed 62 published studies to evaluate the changes in functional status and quality of life after TAVR. The research suggested that TAVR improved symptoms, physical function, and disease-specific measures of quality of life compared with conservative treatment. However, the benefits in psychological dimension and general health measures were often small and inconsistent, which may be an important consideration for older patients looking to improve quality of remaining life.

http://www.annals.org/article.aspx?doi=10.7326/M13-1316

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