Marked aortic valve stenosis progression after receiving long-term aggressive cholesterol-lowering therapy using low-density lipoprotein apheresis in a patient with familial hypercholesterolemia

Circ J. 2009 May;73(5):963-6. doi: 10.1253/circj.cj-08-0164. Epub 2008 Dec 16.

Abstract

In 1982, a 49-year-old Japanese woman had been referred to our hospital for further investigation of her hypercholesterolemia. She was diagnosed as heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, because of Achilles tendon xanthoma and a family history of primary hypercholesterolemia. Three years later, she had chest pain on effort and angina pectoris was diagnosed by coronary angiography. At that time, she underwent coronary artery bypass grafting surgery with 2 saphenous vein grafts (SVG). Because more aggressive cholesterol-lowering therapy was needed for secondary prevention of coronary artery disease (CAD), weekly low-density lipoprotein (LDL) apheresis was started postoperatively, combined with drug therapy. Since 1986, her serum total cholesterol levels before and after LDL apheresis remained approximately 200 mg/dl and 90 mg/dl, respectively. Although her coronary sclerosis, including the SVG, did not progress appreciably for a period of 20 years, stenotic changes of the aortic valve developed rapidly at age 70, leading to aortic valve replacement surgery in 2005 at age 72. These findings suggest that careful attention to the progression of aortic valve stenosis is needed for extreme hypercholesterolemic patients even under optimal cholesterol-lowering therapy for the secondary prevention of CAD.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Angina Pectoris / etiology
  • Anticholesteremic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Aortic Valve Stenosis / etiology*
  • Aortic Valve Stenosis / pathology
  • Aortic Valve Stenosis / surgery
  • Blood Component Removal*
  • Cholesterol / blood*
  • Cholestyramine Resin / therapeutic use
  • Coronary Angiography
  • Coronary Artery Bypass
  • Coronary Artery Disease / blood
  • Coronary Artery Disease / diagnostic imaging
  • Coronary Artery Disease / etiology
  • Coronary Artery Disease / prevention & control*
  • Coronary Artery Disease / surgery
  • Disease Progression
  • Echocardiography
  • Female
  • Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation
  • Humans
  • Hyperlipoproteinemia Type II / blood
  • Hyperlipoproteinemia Type II / complications
  • Hyperlipoproteinemia Type II / therapy*
  • Lipoproteins, LDL / blood*
  • Middle Aged
  • Secondary Prevention / methods*

Substances

  • Anticholesteremic Agents
  • Lipoproteins, LDL
  • Cholestyramine Resin
  • Cholesterol