In 2006, the prevalence of aortic stenosis (AS) has been estimated at 2.8% in the US population over 75years of age. The main etiology of AS is age-related degeneration. The management of this pathology evolved in recent years with the development of transcatheter aortic-valve implantation (TAVI).

Estimate the annual incidence of patients hospitalized for non-rheumatic aortic stenosis (nRAS) in France, and describe their characteristics, their care, and the temporal trends.

All patients hospitalized for nRAS management in France between 2006 and 2016 were identified using data from the national health data system (SNDS). The index stay was defined as the first stay of the year in which the patients are hospitalized for valvular heart disease. Stays whose principal or related diagnosis was nRAS were included in this study (ICD10 I350-I352). Surgical or percutaneous aortic-valve procedures were identified from the French medical classification for clinical procedures. The socio-demographic, medical and surgical characteristics of patients and temporal trends from 2006 to 2016 were described.

In 2016 25,149 patients were hospitalized for a nRAS, 57% of whom were male and the average age was 77 years. 11% of these patients had a multivalvular heart disease. The case-fatality rate at 1 year of the index stay was 11%. The incidence of patients hospitalized for nRAS increased by 67% between 2006 and 2016, and was 37.4/100,000 PY in 2016. The increase was most pronounced in patients over 75years. The number of TAVI increased since their introduction in 2010. Thus, in 2016, 45% of patients are operated by thoracotomy in the year following the index hospital stay, and 35% by TAVI.

The incidence of patients hospitalized for nRAS increased in recent years in line with the increase in life expectancy and the development of TAVI which allows a wider range of aortic-valve implantation indications and thus more patients to be managed.