Family history doubles aortic stenosis risk

 The risk of aortic stenosis doubles when a first degree relative has heart disease, according to research presented at the recent European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2013 by Dr. Mattis Ranthe from Denmark.   The study of 4.2 million people from Danish registers also found that aortic stenosis risk increased by eight-fold in patients with ischemic heart disease and family history. Aortic stenosis is the most common heart valve disease in the elderly. It is associated with congenital bicuspid aortic valve and previous rheumatic heart disease, but is also often caused by calcification of a normal valve. Calcification of a