A Case-Control Investigation of the Relationship Between Bicuspid Aortic Valve Disease and Coronary Heart Disease

Bicuspid aortic valve disease is the most common congenital heart defect, affecting 1% to 2% of the general population, with a higher prevalence in males (Hoffman & Kaplan, 2002; Movahed et al., 2006). Quite often, the diagnosis of bicuspid aortic valve disease is an incidental finding during an echocardiogram. However, the disease may be associated with significant valvular dysfunction and lead to aortic stenosis (Subramanian et al., 1984; Roberts & Ko, 2005) or aortic regurgitation (Roberts et al., 1981; Olson et al., 1984) and is a risk for infective endocarditis (Lamas & Eykyn, 2000; Fenoglio et al., 1977). Aortic regurgitation is probably more common in younger patients, and aortic stenosis becomes more frequent with age (Movahed et al., 2006). In this paper we reviewed the current literature on bicuspid aortic valve disease, particularly its etiopathogenesis, and report a case-control investigation of the relationship between this disease and coronary heart disease.