title: Left ventricular systolic dysfunction in patients with ankylosing spondylitis without clinically overt cardiovascular disease by speckle tracking echocardiography.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate left ventricular systolic and diastolic function using speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) in order to detect subclinical left ventricular dysfunction in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Twenty-six AS patients (age 43.7 ± 11.8 years, disease duration 11.83 ± 10.98 years) and 26 healthy controls, matched for age, sex, body mass index, and smoking, were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. All patients underwent two-dimensional, Doppler, tissue Doppler, and speckle tracking echocardiography. The mitral early/late diastolic inflow velocity ratio (1.0 ± 0.4 vs. 1.5 ± 0.5; p < 0.001) and the mitral E-wave velocity (8.1 ± 2 vs. 11.1 ± 3; p < 0.001) were lower in the AS patients than in the controls. The ejection fraction did not differ between the patients and controls (64 ± 4.2 vs. 64.8 ± 2.3; p = 0.402). All segments showed a significant decrease in left ventricular diastolic and systolic strain values in the patients with AS when compared with the healthy controls (p < 0.001). Despite no clinical evidence of cardiovascular disease, patients with AS may have impaired left ventricular systolic function as assessed by STE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Mustafa Kemal University, Hatay, Turkey, drnustun@yahoo.com.tr.
authors.forename: Nilgun
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ustun
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurt
authors.forename: Alper Bugra
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Nacar
authors.forename: Hacer Paksoy
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Karateke
authors.forename: Hayal
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guler
authors.forename: Ayse Dicle
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Turhanoglu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology