Clinical and Echocardiographic Features of Degenerative Changes in Heart Valves and the Vascular System in Elderly Patients

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical course, echocardiographic features of degenerative changes in heart valves and the vascular system in elderly patients, as well as their relationship with etiological factors. The study included 200 patients aged 60–85 years. All patients underwent clinical examination, echocardiography, and vascular ultrasound examination. Arterial hypertension was detected in 81.6%, atherosclerosis in 60.0%, dyslipidemia in 55.0%, and diabetes mellitus in 40.8% of patients. Fibrosis of the aortic valve was observed in 70.4%, calcification in 48.1%, and thickening in 55.6% of cases. The mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 51.3±6.8%. A strong positive correlation was found between aortic valve damage and the duration of etiological factors (r=+0.77). Coronary artery lesions were recorded in 56.3%, carotid artery lesions in 40.0%, and peripheral artery lesions in 22.5% of patients. The obtained results demonstrated that degenerative valvular changes and atherosclerotic vascular lesions in elderly patients have a systemic nature. Echocardiography was found to have high diagnostic value in the early detection of degenerative changes and assessment of hemodynamic disorders.