title: [Cardiac involvement at rest in patients with systemic sclerosis: differences between the limited and the diffuse form of the disease].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Heart involvement confers a poor prognosis in patients affected by systemic sclerosis (SSc). Nevertheless, the prevalence of heart involvement in these patients is not fully known. In this study we analyzed the most frequent manifestations of heart involvement at rest in a cohort of patients with SSc, comparing their prevalence in patients with the limited form (lcSSc) and in patients with the diffuse form (dcSSc) of the disease, taking also into account the duration of the disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  We thoroughly evaluated with electrocardiographic and echocardiographic examinations 174 patients affected by SSc who were followed at our hospital between 2001 and 2011. They were divided according to the disease subtype (dcSSc vs lcSSc) and information about the disease duration was available for 121 of them (calculated from the onset of the Raynaud's phenomenon).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with dcSSc had a greater prevalence of heart involvement at rest when evaluated within 5 and 10 years after the onset of the Raynaud's phenomenon (p=0.0051 within 5 years and p=0.035 within 10 years). Indeed, patients with dcSSc had a greater prevalence of atrioventricular conduction abnormalities within 20 years after the onset of the Raynaud's phenomenon (p=0.03 within 10 years and p=0.04 within 20 years) and a greater prevalence of valvular abnormalities within 5 years (p=0.04). In dcSSc there was a greater prevalence of rhythm disturbances in patients with a disease duration ≤20 or >20 years (p=0.04 within 20 years and p=0.04 after 20 years), but not in those with a disease duration ≤5 and ≤10 years. Left ventricular hypertrophy had a greater prevalence in dcSSc after 20 years of disease duration (p=0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cardiac manifestation occurs earlier and more frequently in patients affected by dcSSc than in patients with lcSSc.
authors: Alessia
authors: A
authors: Faccini
authors: Stefano
authors: S
authors: Franchini
authors: Maria Grazia
authors: MG
authors: Sabbadini
authors: Paolo G
authors: PG
authors: Camici
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D045743:Scleroderma, Diffuse / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D045745:Scleroderma, Limited / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors