Aortic valve sclerosis (AVS) has a prevalence of 2% to 7% in the population above 65 years of age. In industrialized countries, aortic valve sclerosis is most frequently caused by progressive calcification and degeneration of the aortic cusps.
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most significant single cause of death in the world. In developed countries, more than 25% of all deaths in persons older than 35 years are due to CAD. More than half of acute myocardial infarctions occur without previous history or symptoms of CAD.
In recent years, there has been a special emphasis on lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)), a significant, causal, and nonmodifiable predictor of valvular outcomes and CAD in the general population
