From Sclerosis 🧱 to Stenosis 🚪 to Surgery 🔧

🚨 Calcific Aortic Valve Stenosis (CAVS): Beyond Wear and Tear 🫀🪨   Once thought to be "degenerative," CAVS is now recognized as an active disease driven by oxidative stress ⚡, inflammation 🔥, and lipoprotein(a) 🧬. Despite its growing global burden, no drug therapy slows its progression.   🩺 Current management: Surgical (SAVR) or Transcatheter (TAVR) valve replacement. 💊 Emerging hope: PCSK9 inhibitors, Lp(a) lowering agents, SGLT2 inhibitors, soluble guanylate cyclase activators, and anti-inflammatory strategies. 📊 Modern tools: Aortic valve calcification on CT, PET imaging for microcalcification, and strain imaging for early detection.   🔑 Takeaway: CAVS is preventable in theory, but not yet in practice. Novel therapeutics may finally reshape its natural history.   #Cardiology #HeartValve #PrecisionMedicine #AorticStenosis