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Published on: June 16, 2020
[Analysis for clinical features of cardiovascular complication of diffuse connective tissue disease]
Xiao-li Deng1, Xiang-yuan Liu, Jin-xia Zhao
1Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China.
Insights
Cardiovascular complications are common in diffuse connective tissue diseases (dCTD), particularly rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). These conditions, including hypertension and coronary artery disease, lead to a poor prognosis, with SLE patients experiencing earlier onset.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Rheumatology
- Internal Medicine
Context:
- Diffuse connective tissue diseases (dCTD) significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular complications.
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are the most prevalent dCTDs associated with cardiovascular disease requiring hospitalization.
Purpose:
- To investigate the clinical features and prognosis of cardiovascular complications in patients with dCTD.
- To compare cardiovascular disease manifestations between RA and SLE subsets within the dCTD cohort.
Summary:
- Hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and coronary artery disease are the most frequent cardiovascular complications in dCTD patients.
- Common echocardiographic findings include valvular regurgitation, diastolic dysfunction, left atrial enlargement, pulmonary hypertension, and pericardial effusion.
- SLE patients exhibit a younger age of onset for hypertension, coronary artery disease, and hyperlipidemia compared to RA patients.
Impact:
- The study highlights the poor prognosis for dCTD patients with cardiovascular complications.
- Early onset of cardiovascular diseases in SLE patients underscores the need for tailored monitoring and management strategies.
Objective:
To analyze the clinical features and prognosis of cardiovascular complications of diffuse connective tissue disease(dCTD).
Methods:
Clinical data of cardiovascular complications of 181 cases of dCTD were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical data of two subsets [rheumatoid arthritis (RA, 81) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, 42)] were also analyzed. Follow-up was carried out for all the patients.
Results:
RA and SLE were the most common disease complicated by cardiovascular disease needing hospitalization. The most frequent cardiovascular complications in dCTD patients were hypertension, hyperlipidemia and coronary artery disease. The most common echocardiographic abnormalities were valvular regurgitation, left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, enlargement of left atrium, pulmonary hypertension and pericardial effusion (57.8%, 50.6%, 33.7%, 21.7% and 19.3%, respectively). Compared with the subset of RA, patients were younger at onset of hypertension, coronary artery disease and hyperlipidemia in the subset of SLE [(40+/-11) vs (56+/-15), P<0.001; (53+/-12) vs (64+/-10), P=0.011; (44+/-16) vs (58+/-12), P=0.012, respectively]. Both pericardial effusion (P<0.001) and enlargement of left ventricle (P=0.03) were more frequent, and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction was less common (P<0.001). Median survival time of these dCTD patients was 9.8 years.
Conclusion:
RA and SLE are the most common diffuse connective tissue diseases complicated by cardiovascular disease needing hospitalization. The most frequent cardiovascular complications in dCTD patients are hypertension, hyperlipidemia and coronary artery disease. The prognosis of dCTD patients complicated with cardiovascular diseases is poor. SLE patients are younger at onset of cardiovascular diseases.
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