Valvular Heart Disease USMLE Step 1 Practice Question
A 70-year-old man with a bicuspid aortic valve and a history of stable aortic stenosis is found to have a new systolic ejection murmur grade 3/6 at the right upper sternal border. He reports exertional dyspnea and syncope. Echocardiogram shows severe aortic stenosis with valve area 0.8 cm². Which of the following is the most appropriate management?
Answer choices
- AAortic valve replacementCorrect answer
- BAnnual echocardiography with activity restriction
- CBeta-blocker therapy to slow disease progression
- DDiuretics to relieve congestion symptoms
- EStatin therapy for lipid management
- FACE inhibitors as first-line disease-modifying therapy for symptomatic severe aortic stenosis
See the full explanation
Get the correct-answer rationale, why each distractor is wrong, the underlying mechanism, and high-yield associations — plus adaptive practice that targets your weak areas — with a free MedBoardPRO account.