Management of paradoxical low-flow, low-gradient aortic stenosis : need for an integrated approach, including assessment of symptoms, hypertension, and stenosis severity

In 2007, we reported that a substantial proportion of patients with severe aortic stenosis may have a low flow (LF) (i.e., reduced stroke volume), and thus, often have a low transvalvular pressure gradient (LG), despite a preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (1). The 2014 American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines (2) classified this “paradoxical” LF/LG entity as a D3 stage of aortic stenosis, which is defined as an aortic valve area (AVA) of 50%, and a stroke volume index (SVi) of