Left ventricular wall thickness and disease duration in systemic sclerosis

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Rheumatology
• Echocardiography

Background:

• Systemic sclerosis is a connective tissue disease that can affect multiple organs, including the heart.
• Cardiac involvement in systemic sclerosis can manifest as myocardial thickening or thinning, impacting ventricular function.
• Understanding these cardiac changes is crucial for patient management and prognosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate myocardial thickness and left ventricular (LV) functions in patients with systemic sclerosis using echocardiography.
• To explore the relationship between LV wall thickness variations, disease duration, and cardiac functional impairment.
• To assess the prevalence of right heart overloading and pericardial disease in this patient cohort.

Main Methods:

• Echocardiography was performed on 80 patients with systemic sclerosis and 18 healthy controls.
• Patients were categorized into three groups based on LV wall thickness: hypertrophy, normal thickness, and thinning.
• Cardiac function (systolic and diastolic), LV dimensions, and pericardial disease were assessed.

Main Results:

• Patients with asymmetrical LV hypertrophy (Group 1) had shorter disease duration and impaired diastolic/mild systolic function.
• Patients with LV wall thinning (Group 3) exhibited longer disease duration, increased LV diameters, and impaired systolic function.
• Systemic sclerosis patients showed significant systolic and diastolic dysfunction compared to controls; 28.7% had pericardial disease.

Conclusions:

• Left ventricular wall thickness changes in systemic sclerosis are associated with disease duration and functional impairment.
• Echocardiography is valuable for detecting cardiac abnormalities in systemic sclerosis.
• Early detection and monitoring of cardiac involvement are essential for managing systemic sclerosis patients.