title: [Left ventricular function in rheumatoid arthritis patients].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The disproportion between the absence of clinical manifestations of circulatory system involvement and serious lesions in the heart found on post mortem examinations, more frequently diagnosed congestive circulatory failure and also higher mortality rate of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), encouraged the authors to study the subject. THE AIM OF THE STUDY WAS: Echocardiographic assessment of the effect of rheumatoid process on left ventricular structure, and systolic and diastolic function in patients with RA without clinically overt features of heart disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted in 50 patients with RA diagnosed on the basis of the ACR criteria and in 50 persons matched with the patients with respect to age, gender, body area and body mass index, heart rate and arterial pressure. Persons with manifestations and/or history of cardiovascular diseases were excluded from the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The authors found that: in RA, the involvement of the myocardium by the pathological process was manifested as increased wall thickness, increased mass and mass index of the left ventricle with impairment of its diastolic function and normal systolic function. With progressing rheumatoid process, left ventricular systolic function impairment was observed. Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in the course of rheumatoid arthritis usually was not manifested clinically.
authors.affiliation: Klinika Endokrynologii Instytutu Medycyny Wojskowej Centralnego Szpitala Klinicznego WAM w Warszawie.
authors.forename: Grzegorz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kamiński
authors.forename: Marian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cholewa
authors.forename: Witold
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tłustochowicz
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cwetsch
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Skrobowski
authors.forename: Mirosław
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dziuk
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*