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[Evaluation of heart disease in rheumatoid arthritis using echocardiography]
1I. interní klinika Fakultní nemocnice, Krajský ústav národního zdraví Plzen.
Insights
Echocardiography detected significant pericardial, ventricular, and valvular changes in rheumatoid arthritis and lupus patients. Early detection is crucial for managing these autoimmune conditions.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Rheumatology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Rheumatoid arthritis and lupus erythematodes generalisatus can affect multiple organ systems.
- Cardiac involvement in autoimmune diseases poses significant health risks.
- Understanding the cardiac manifestations is vital for patient management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate cardiac changes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and lupus erythematodes generalisatus.
- To assess the utility of echocardiography in detecting these changes.
- To correlate echocardiographic findings with disease severity and patient demographics.
Main Methods:
- One- and two-dimensional echocardiography were employed.
- A cohort of 95 rheumatoid arthritis patients and 11 lupus erythematodes generalisatus patients were studied.
- Echocardiographic parameters assessed included pericardial, left ventricular, and valvular function.
Main Results:
- Significant acute and chronic pericardial changes were observed.
- Impaired left ventricular function was detected in a notable percentage of patients.
- Valvular changes were also identified, indicating widespread cardiac impact.
- These pathological changes were found in non-negligible percentages across the patient groups.
Conclusions:
- Echocardiography is a valuable tool for comprehensive cardiac assessment in rheumatoid arthritis and lupus patients.
- Detection of cardiac abnormalities is important for guiding treatment and lifestyle modifications.
- The method is particularly useful in severe disease courses or in elderly patients.
Abstract:
The authors examined, using one- and two-dimensional echocardiography, 95 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 11 patients with lupus erythematodes generalisatus. They revealed acute and chronic changes on the pericardium, impaired left ventricular function and valvular changes in percentages which are not negligible. Although the problem of the aetiopathogenesis of these pathological changes is frequently speculative, their detection is of considerable importance for further treatment and the life-style of these patients. Echocardiography is a suitable method for the comprehensive examination of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, in particular when the course is severe or when patients of advanced age groups are involved.