title: Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in patients with dermatomyositis without clinically evident cardiovascular disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess left ventricular (LV) diastolic function in patients with dermatomyositis (DM) without clinically evident cardiovascular (CV) disease and to estimate whether there is an association between the duration of DM and LV diastolic dysfunction (LVDD).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 51 patients with DM (43 women and 8 men) who had no clinically evident CV disease and 51 age-matched and sex-matched healthy controls. Echocardiographic and Doppler studies were conducted in all patients and controls. Early diastolic flow velocity/mitral annular early diastolic velocity (E/Em) was considered a marker for diastolic dysfunction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  E/Em was elevated in 39 patients (76.5%) versus 27 controls (52.9%; p < 0.05). There were significant differences between patients versus control group in late diastolic flow velocity (A), E/A ratio, Em, Em/Am (mitral annular late diastolic velocity) ratio, E/Em ratio, and deceleration time (DT; p < 0.05). There was a weak correlation with disease duration between A (r = 0.373, p = 0.007), E/A ratio (r = -0.467, p = 0.001), Em (r = -0.474, p < 0.001), Em/Am ratio (r = -0.476, p < 0.001), E/Em ratio (r = 0.320, p = 0.022), and DT (r = 0.474, p < 0.001). Disease duration was associated with E/Em after controlling for age, sex, and other factors (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study confirms a high frequency of LVDD in DM patients without evident CV disease. The association between transmitral flow alteration and disease duration may suggest a subclinical myocardial involvement with disease progression.
authors.affiliation: From the Cardiovascular Disease Research Institute, The Third People's Hospital of Chengdu, The Second Affiliated Chengdu Clinical College of Chongqing Medical University, Chengdu, Sichuan; and the Department of Surgery, People's Hospital of Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Han
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Han-Xiong
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yin-Li
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiu-Qiong
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Xian-Xiang
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cai
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology*; D003882:Dermatomyositis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D003971:Diastole; D018450:Disease Progression; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: DERMATOMYOSITIS; DIASTOLIC DYSFUNCTION; ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY