Ventricular function abnormalities in active rheumatoid arthritis: a Doppler echocardiographic study.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present study was to evaluate cardiac involvement in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA).


METHODS
Forty patients with active RA participated. All were submitted to standard Doppler echocardiography and myocardial performance index (MPI) grading.


RESULTS
There were left and right ventricular diastolic function abnormalities in RA patients. Left ventricular MPI was also significantly higher than in controls ( P<0.05). A relationship was found between left ventricular early diastolic (E)/atrial (A) flow velocities (E/A ratio), isovolumic relaxation time (IRT), and disease duration ( r=-0.47 and P=0.002, r=0.618 and P=0.000, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Diastolic function was impaired in both ventricles in patients with active RA. There was a direct relationship between some of the parameters of left ventricular diastolic function and disease duration as well. These findings suggest a subclinical myocardial involvement in RA patients.
Levendoglu
Funda
F
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Meram Medical School of Selcuk University, Meram-Konya, Turkey. Levendogluf@hotmail.com
Temizhan
Ahmet
A
Ugurlu
Hatice
H
Ozdemir
Ayse
A
Yazici
Mehmet
M
D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003971:Diastole / Q000502:physiology; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006321:Heart / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018497:Ventricular Dysfunction, Right / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016276:Ventricular Function / Q000502:physiology*