Summary
ABSTRACT Thirteen percent of adults over 75 suffer from aortic valve stenosis (AVS), a progressive disease that leads to aberrant collagen deposition, leaflet stiffening, and eventual valve calcification at late stages. AVS is also sexually dimorphic with men having a two-fold higher risk for developing direct calcification, whereas women with equal disease severity tend to have more valvular fibrosis prior to calcification. The molecular mechanisms underlying sexual dimorphism in AVS progression remain poorly understood, but growing evidence suggests AVS is an inflammation-dependent disease.
