Low-grade systolic murmurs in healthy middle-aged individuals: innocent or clinically significant? A 35-year follow-up study of 2014 Norwegian men

• Autores: J. Bodegard, P.T. Skretteberg, Kristin Gjesdal, K. Pyörälä, Sverre E. Kjeldsen, Knut Liestol, G. Erikssen, J. Erikssen
• Localización: Journal of Internal Medicine, ISSN-e 1365-2796, Vol. 271, Nº. 6, 2012, págs. 581-588
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Abstract.  Bodegard J, Skretteberg PT, Gjesdal K, Pyörälä K, Kjeldsen SE, Liestøl K, Erikssen G, Erikssen J (Oslo University Hospital, Oslo; University of Oslo, Oslo; University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio; University of Oslo, Oslo; Oslo University Hospital, Oslo). Low-grade systolic murmurs in healthy middle-aged individuals: innocent or clinically significant? A 35-year follow-up study of 2014 Norwegian men. J Intern Med 2012; 271: 581–588.

    Objective.  To determine whether a low-grade systolic murmur, found at heart auscultation, in middle-aged healthy men influences the long-term risk of aortic valve replacement (AVR) and death from cardiovascular disease (CVD).

    Setting and subjects.  During 1972–1975, 2014 apparently healthy men aged 40–59 years underwent an examination programme including case history, clinical examination, blood tests and a symptom-limited exercise ECG test. Heart auscultation was performed under standardized conditions, and murmurs were graded on a scale from I to VI. No men were found to have grade V/VI murmurs. Participants were followed for up to 35 years.

    Results.  A total of 1541 men had no systolic murmur; 441 had low-grade murmurs (grade I/II) and 32 had moderate-grade murmurs (grade III/IV). Men with low-grade murmurs had a 4.7-fold [95% confidence interval (CI) 2.1–11.1] increased age-adjusted risk of AVR, but no increase in risk of CVD death. Men with moderate-grade murmurs had an 89.3-fold (95% CI 39.2–211.2) age-adjusted risk of AVR and a 1.5-fold (95% CI 0.8–2.5) age-adjusted increased risk of CVD death.

    Conclusions.  Low-grade systolic murmur was detected at heart auscultation in 21.9% of apparently healthy middle-aged men. Men with low-grade murmur had an increased risk of AVR, but no increase in risk of CVD death. Only 1.6% of men had moderate-grade murmur; these men had a very high risk of AVR and a 1.5-fold albeit non-significant increase in risk of CVD death.