Aortic stenosis happens when the heart's aortic valve narrows and can't open fully, making the heart work harder to pump blood. It's common in older adults, often from calcium buildup on the valve. For severe cases, replacing the valve — through open-heart surgery or a catheter procedure called TAVR — is the main treatment.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing whether medications can slow calcium buildup on the valve before it becomes severe, whether TAVR can help people with moderate stenosis or those at lower surgical risk, and how to prevent valve deterioration after replacement. Researchers are also studying imaging methods to catch stenosis earlier and predict when intervention is needed.
Early intervention with TAVR
Studies are testing whether replacing the valve before severe symptoms appear leads to better long-term outcomes. The goal is to prevent heart muscle damage that happens when stenosis goes untreated too long.
Medications to slow progression
Trials are testing statins and newer drugs that might slow calcium accumulation on the valve in people with mild or moderate stenosis. If successful, these could delay or prevent the need for valve replacement.
Valve durability research
Researchers are studying why some replacement valves last longer than others and testing ways to prevent calcium from building up on new valves. This matters especially for younger patients who may outlive their first valve.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on how severe the stenosis is, whether you have symptoms, surgical risk factors, heart function, and sometimes whether you've had prior heart procedures.
What types of trials are currently open
- TAVR expansion trials — Testing catheter-based valve replacement in people with moderate stenosis or lower surgical risk, groups where open surgery has been standard.
- Medical therapy trials — Testing whether statins or other medications can slow valve calcification in people with mild or moderate stenosis who don't yet need replacement.
- Imaging studies — Using advanced CT or echocardiography to measure valve calcification and predict who will progress quickly, which could guide earlier treatment decisions.
- Valve durability studies — Following people after valve replacement to understand how long different valve types last and what factors predict failure.
- Quality of life studies — Tracking symptoms, exercise capacity, and recovery after different types of valve replacement to compare long-term outcomes.
Recently added Aortic Stenosis trials
Receive a gene therapy treatment for Friedreich ataxia heart disease
The purpose of Study LX2006-03, a multicenter, Phase 2, open-label, randomized, controlled study, is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of LX2006 gene therapy in participants with Friedreich ataxia (FA) cardiomyopathy (CM).
Share your heart valve replacement medical records
This study is a multicenter, retrospective registry study using the CHATEAU Registry. The study will evaluate patients who underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement between January 2021 and December 2025. The purpose of the study is to assess clinical outcomes and valve performance after TAVR in real-world practice, with a focus on procedural strategies, valve-related factors, and long-term outcomes. Patient clinical information, imaging findings, procedural data, echocardiographic results, and follow-up outcomes will be collected from existing medical records. No additional intervention, treatment, or study-specific visit will be performed.
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