Yamaura Y, Watanabe N, Shimaya M, et al. - Researchers evaluated subclinical degenerative aortic valve (DAV) disease, defined by echocardiography, in relation to smoking status, cigarette-years of smoking, and years since quitting smoking among 756 seemingly healthy male workers. Of those, DAV was found in 154 and 63 had DAV with ≥ 2 leaflets calcification (DAV ≥ 2 cal). Findings revealed a strong link between DAV disease and smoking among seemingly healthy male workers. In both current and former smokers, cumulative smoking exposure was found to be related to dose-dependent link with subclinical DAV disease. In current smokers with > 400– ≤ 800 and with > 800 cigarette-years, the estimated odds ratios for DAV were 3.201 and 5.326; for DAV ≥ 2 cal they were 7.460 and 8.397, respectively. The estimated odds ratios for DAV were 3.780 and for DAV ≥ 2 cal were 10.035 (3.801–26.496) in former smokers with >800 cigarette-years. Significantly lower risk of DAV and DAV ≥ 2 cal was reported in former smokers who quit smoking > 10 years ago vs current smokers.