Relation between cardiovascular risk factors and nonrheumatic severe calcific aortic stenosis among patients with a three-cuspid aortic valve

This large prospective study, controlled for age and gender, was designed to examine the specific relation between the presence of nonrheumatic severe calcific aortic stenosis and cardiovascular risk factors. The results show a strong association of systemic hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, smoking, and obesity with the presence of severe aortic stenosis due to calcific degeneration, independently of the presence of coronary artery disease.