title: A cross-sectional study of diastolic dysfunction in rheumatoid arthritis and its association with disease activity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients without clinically evident cardiovascular manifestations and to estimate whether there is any correlation between RA disease severity and disability and LV diastolic dysfunction.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was a cross-sectional study involving 53 patients (47 female and 6 male) with RA without clinically evident heart disease and 53 healthy subjects (47 female and 6 male) who served as a control group. Both groups were matched for age and sex. Echocardiographic and Doppler studies were conducted in all patients with RA and control subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 17 cardiac parameters assessed, only two were abnormal. None of the specific cardiac diastolic dysfunction parameters were significantly different in RA patients compared to the control group. There was no significant correlation between diastolic function values in RA patients and value of Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS-28) and value of Health Assessment Questionnaires Disability Index (HAQDI). Atrial (A) wave velocity was greater in RA patients compared to the control group (0.71 [0.58-0.83] vs. 0.61 [0.51-0.71]; P < 0.04). However, interventricular relaxation time (IVRT) ([73.08 ± 9.92 vs. 70.74 ± 9.02], P = 0.207), lower E/A ratio (1.27 [1.02-1.56] vs. 1.42 [1.20-1.68], P = 0.102), diastolic dysfunction parameters according to Redfield Classification (25 [47.2%] vs. 27 [50.9%] P = 0.56), diastolic dysfunction using E/A (P = 0.321) and tissue doppler imaging (E/E') (P = 0.148) were not different.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prevalence of diastolic dysfunction in the rheumatoid arthritis group (47.2%) was not different from controls (50.9%). LV diastolic function had no significant correlation with RA disease severity and duration of disease.
authors.affiliation: Medical Department, Hospital Seremban, Seremban, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Abo Malek
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Abdul Muizz
authors.forename: Mohamed Said
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Mohd Shahrir
authors.forename: Shaharir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sazliyana
authors.forename: Masakun
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oteh
authors.forename: Azhar Shah
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Shamsul
authors.forename: Heselynn
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hussein
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003971:Diastole; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000208:ethnology; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*