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Egyptian Rheumatology and Rehabilitation
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Diastolic dysfunction in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Egyptian Rheumatology and Rehabilitation volume 46, pages 148–153 (2019)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate left ventricular diastolic function parameters as an early predictor of cardiac involvement in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) without any evidence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, rheumatic fever or underlying cardiac disease, detected by Doppler echocardiography and to correlate diastolic function in RA patients with different RA disease characteristics.

Patients and methods

Seventy-five RA patients were diagnosed according to the 2010 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism classification criteria for RA and another 38 age-matched and sex-matched healthy participants were included. All patients and the control groups were submitted to M-mode, two-dimensional, Doppler (continuous and pulsed wave) echocardiography. Diastolic dysfunction was defined as when transmitral flow E/A ratio is less than one.

Results

Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction was found in 28 (37.3%) of 75 RA patients and four (10.5%) of 38 controls with a P value of less than 0.05. In the patients’ group, a statistically significant correlation was found between diastolic dysfunction and duration of the disease (P<0.05), and disease activity was assessed by 28 Joint Disease Activity Score (P<0.05).

Conclusion

Among those without a history of cardiac disease, patients with RA have a higher prevalence of diastolic dysfunction than those without RA. Diastolic dysfunction in RA was associated with disease duration and disease activity. Thus, early identification of diastolic dysfunction in asymptomatic RA patients by the use of echocardiography may provide an opportunity to manage the underlying etiology to prevent progression to diastolic heart failure.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Rheumatology and Rehabiltation, Minia University, Minia, Egypt

    Rasha M. Ghaleb MD

  2. Department of Rheumatology and Rehabiltation, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt

    Mervat I. Abd Elazeem

  3. Department of Cardiology, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt

    Osama A. Amin

Authors
  1. Rasha M. Ghaleb MD
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  2. Mervat I. Abd Elazeem
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  3. Osama A. Amin
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Correspondence to Rasha M. Ghaleb MD.

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Ghaleb, R.M., Abd Elazeem, M.I. & Amin, O.A. Diastolic dysfunction in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Egypt Rheumatol Rehabil 46, 148–153 (2019). https://doi.org/10.4103/err.err_6_19

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/err.err_6_19

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