Rationale, design, and baseline characteristics of a randomized trial to assess the effect of cholesterol lowering on the progression of aortic stenosis The Aortic Stenosis Progression Observation: Measuring Effects of Rosuvastatin (ASTRONOMER) trial

BACKGROUND: Aortic stenosis (AS) is a common health problem in the western world. Recent studies have suggested that cholesterol lowering may have a salutary effect on the progression of AS. The primary objective of the ASTRONOMER study is to determine whether patients with AS randomized to rosuvastatin will experience less progression in AS severity as measured by aortic transvalvular gradients and valve areas. The secondary objectives are to …