PhD-student: Nils Henrik Stubkjær Hansson (Dept. of Cardiology)
Dept. of Nuclear Medicine & PET Centre: Hendrik Johannes Harms, Lars Poulsen Tolbod, Jens Sørensen, Kirsten Bouchelouche, Jørgen Frøkiær
Background: Aortic valve stenosis (AS) is the most common heart valve disease among adults in the western world. AS usually deteriorates over time leading to heart failure, leading to high mortality if aortic valve replacement is not performed.
Objectives: 1) To compare LV myocardial oxidative metabolism and efficiency in patients with different degrees of LV pressure overload due to AS. 2) To investigate, in a randomized, double-blinded placebo controlled design, if beta-blocker treatment in patients with moderate to severe, asymptomatic AS has beneficial effects on LV myocardial oxidative metabolism, efficiency, contractile function and physical performance.