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Assessment of Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Calcium Reserve and Intracellular Diastolic Calcium Removal in Isolated Ventricular Cardiomyocytes
Published on: September 18, 2017
Cardiac Sarcoidosis
David H Birnie1, Pablo B Nery1, Andrew C Ha2
1Division of Cardiology, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Insights
Cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) affects about 5% of sarcoidosis patients, causing heart failure, arrhythmias, and conduction issues. Silent cardiac involvement is also common, with treatment and prognosis still under investigation.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pulmonology
- Immunology
Background:
- Sarcoidosis is a multisystem inflammatory disease.
- Cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) affects 5% of patients, manifesting as conduction abnormalities, arrhythmias, or heart failure.
- A significant portion (20-25%) of sarcoidosis patients have asymptomatic cardiac involvement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To summarize the key aspects of cardiac sarcoidosis diagnosis and management.
- To highlight prognostic factors in clinically manifest CS.
- To discuss the controversies surrounding clinically silent CS.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature and guidelines on cardiac sarcoidosis.
- Analysis of prognostic indicators in patients with manifest CS.
- Discussion of treatment strategies including immunosuppression and device therapy.
Main Results:
- Left ventricular dysfunction is a key predictor of prognosis in manifest CS.
- The outcomes for patients with clinically silent CS remain debated.
- Immunosuppression and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators are common treatment modalities for manifest CS.
Conclusions:
- Cardiac sarcoidosis presents with diverse clinical manifestations.
- Prognosis in manifest CS is linked to left ventricular function.
- Further research is needed to clarify the management and outcomes of silent CS.
Abstract:
Clinically manifest cardiac involvement occurs in perhaps 5% of patients with sarcoidosis. The 3 principal manifestations of cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) are conduction abnormalities, ventricular arrhythmias, and heart failure. An estimated 20% to 25% of patients with pulmonary/systemic sarcoidosis have asymptomatic cardiac involvement (clinically silent disease). In 2014, the first international guideline for the diagnosis and management of CS was published. In patients with clinically manifest CS, the extent of left ventricular dysfunction seems to be the most important predictor of prognosis. There is controversy in published reports as to the outcome of patients with clinically silent CS. Despite a paucity of data, immunosuppression therapy (primarily with corticosteroids) has been advocated for the treatment of clinically manifest CS. Device therapy, primarily with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, is often recommended for patients with clinically manifest disease.
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