Asthma and the Risk of Degenerative Valvular Heart Disease: Insights from a Large Prospective Cohort Study

Background and Disease Burden

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disease affecting millions worldwide and known for its heterogeneous clinical manifestations and variable severity. Beyond respiratory morbidity, asthma has increasingly been linked to adverse cardiovascular outcomes, including coronary artery disease and heart failure. However, the association between asthma and degenerative valvular heart disease (VHD)—which includes progressive disorders of heart valves such as aortic stenosis (AS), aortic regurgitation (AR), mitral regurgitation (MR), and pulmonary regurgitation (PR)—remains insufficiently characterized. Degenerative VHD is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, especially in aging populations, being responsible for heart failure, arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death. Understanding potential risk factors such as systemic inflammation common in asthma might uncover pathophysiologic pathways and inform preventive cardiology in this population.

Study Design