Clinical Perspective: Diabetes and Calcific Aortic Stenosis

Calcific aortic valve stenosis (CAVD) has similar classical coshared risk factors that are associated with endothelial cell dysfunction and cardiovascular disease. For example, lifestyle habits similar to those predisposing to coronary artery disease, inflammation, hypertension, advanced age, malegender, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, cigarette smoking, metabolic syndrome, and end-stage kidney disease have all been linked with the development of CAVD. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a powerful known risk factor for CV disease and aortic stenosis. However, mechanisms causing CAVD still remain unknown to a large extent. Pro-atherogenic factors cause amplification of vascular wall inflammation and increased endothelial oxidative stress, thereby activating aortic valve interstitial cells (cells that lie between other cells) toward anosteogenic phenotype favoring the development of CAVD in DM