Alterations in cardiac diastolic function in patients with ankylosing spondylitis
J P Sun1, M A Khan, A Z Farhat
1Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, OH.
Insights
Ankylosing spondylitis patients show impaired diastolic cardiac function, specifically reduced ventricular relaxation, even without clinical signs of heart disease. This early cardiac alteration may contribute to the known decreased survival in ankylosing spondylitis patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Rheumatology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is linked to reduced survival, primarily due to cardiovascular causes.
- Early detection of cardiac dysfunction in AS patients is crucial for proactive management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate subclinical systolic and diastolic cardiac function in AS patients.
- To determine if cardiac function alterations precede overt cardiovascular disease in AS.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study utilizing Doppler echocardiography.
- Evaluated 20 AS patients without clinical cardiovascular disease against 25 healthy controls.
- Assessed systolic function (wall motion, ejection velocities) and diastolic function (inflow velocities, filling times).
Main Results:
- No significant differences in atrial, ventricular, or aortic dimensions between groups.
- Systolic function (ejection indexes, wall motion) was normal in both AS patients and controls.
- AS patients exhibited impaired diastolic function, including shorter diastolic filling periods and reduced early mitral inflow velocities.
Conclusions:
- AS patients demonstrate impaired ventricular relaxation, a subclinical diastolic dysfunction.
- These echocardiographic findings suggest early cardiac changes in AS patients.
- Diastolic dysfunction may be an early indicator of cardiovascular risk in ankylosing spondylitis.
Abstract:
Ankylosing spondylitis is associated with a decreased survival that appears attributable to cardiovascular causes. To determine whether alterations in systolic or diastolic cardiac function precede overt cardiac disease, 20 ankylosing spondylitis patients without clinical evidence of cardiovascular disease and 25 healthy age and gender matched controls were studied by cross-sectional and Doppler echocardiography. Systolic function was assessed by wall motion analysis and ejection velocities. Diastolic function was measured by the peak velocity of early ventricular inflow, peak velocity in late diastole during atrial systole, the ratio of these velocities and the diastolic filling time. Atrial, ventricular and aortic dimensions were similar in patients and controls. Ejection indexes and systolic wall motion were normal in both groups. Diastolic function differed in patients as evidenced by a shorter diastolic filling period [405 +/- 68 ms vs 548 +/- 136 ms, p = 0.0001], a reduced velocity of early mitral inflow [0.55 +/- 0.09 m/s vs 0.63 +/- 0.11 m/s (p = 0.005)], and lower ratios of early/late inflow velocities [1.21 +/- 0.33 vs 1.60 +/- 0.35 (p = 0.0005) for mitral and 1.36 +/- 0.34 vs 1.71 +/- 0.42 (p = 0.016) for tricuspid]. These changes are consistent with impaired ventricular relaxation in some patients with ankylosing spondylitis.
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