Skeletal muscle dysfunction in aortic stenosis
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigating Skeletal Muscle Dysfunction in Aortic Stenosis
IRAS ID
235691
Contact name
Hugh Montgomery
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University College London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Z6364106/2018/04/98, UCL Data Protection reference number
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 5 months, 31 days
Research summary
Significant narrowing of the aortic valve (aortic stenosis) is the most common valve disease in the West with a prevalence of 2.8% in patients over 75 years. When severe, symptoms including breathlessness and decreased exercise intolerance develop, impacting patients’ quality of life. Left untreated, it significantly shortens life. Replacing such defective valves aims to prolong life and improve symptoms. However, a significant proportion of people undergoing valvular intervention for aortic stenosis do not experience full functional recovery and remain physically disabled. We believe this relates, in part, to a change in their leg muscle function which develops during the time of valve stenosis, and incompletely reverses once the valve is replaced.
We aim to describe the changes that occur in leg muscle in patients with aortic stenosis and compare the findings to muscle of people without aortic stenosis. We will assess the muscle again 6 months after aortic valve replacement. By measuring physical activity at baseline,6 and 12 months, the relationship between muscle changes and the degree of physical recovery will be explored. This will inform the design of a (larger) definitive study in which changes in peripheral muscle will be tracked as aortic stenosis develops and predictors of poor functional recovery sought. Our aim is to identify patients at risk of poor physical recovery at an earlier time point, so that treatment may be expedited and outcomes improved.
An added advantage of this study is that we are studying the same group of patients that are enrolled in a study investigating changes occurring to heart muscle in aortic stenosis. This will enable us to compare findings in peripheral muscle and cardiac muscle. We believe that many changes will be common to both, so that what we learn from leg muscle might in the future be applied to the heart.
REC name
London - Hampstead Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/LO/1052
Date of REC Opinion
29 Jun 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion