Evaluation by exercise testing of children with mild and moderate valvularaortic stenosis

Background: The aim of the present paper was to determine the factors relat ed to sudden death in aortic stenosis. Methods: The factors related to sudden death were investigated in 40 asympt omatic children with mild and moderate aortic stenosis by treadmill testing . Results: The QT interval of aortic stenosis cases were significantly longer than those of healthy children with increasing heart rates during exercise . Conclusions: A longer QT interval of aortic stenosis cases compared to norm al children during exercise is the first sign of myocardial ischemia and le ads to fatal ventricular arrhythmias and sudden death. For this reason we r ecommend that exercise testing should be performed frequently in aortic ste nosis patients and that close follow up is necessary for patients with long QT segments that can be a marker for severe arrhythmias.