Effect of Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity on Left Ventricular Function

Ismail, Ahlam A.; Abdelnaby, Mai M.; Saber, Mohamed Y.; Abdel-lah, Ahmed T.; Nasef, Samah I.

doi:10.21608/scumj.2023.308712

Effect of Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity on Left Ventricular Function

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Department of Physical Medicine, Rheumatology, and Rehabilitation, ¹Ismailia General Hospital, Egypt

² Department of Physical Medicine, Rheumatology, and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Egypt

³ Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Egypt

10.21608/scumj.2023.308712

Abstract

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a debilitating disease characterized by chronic symmetric polyarthritis involving peripheral small joints causing deformities, severe disability and premature mortality. Aim: evaluation of the subclinical LVSD by using Speckled Echocardiography in RA patients according to the activity of the disease. Subjects and Methods: A comparative study was carried out to detect the effect of RA disease activity on Lt. ventricular motion using Speckled Echocardiography. This study was carried out at the Physical Medicine, Rheumatology, and Rehabilitation department of Suez Canal University and Ismailia General Hospitals. The study population was patients with rheumatoid arthritis attending the Physical Medicine, Rheumatology, and Rehabilitation departments of Suez Canal University and Ismailia General Hospitals. Result:Smoking showed statistically significant differences between the two groups (p=0.003). The disease activity was more severe among group A with statistically significant differences (p < 0.001).Group A had significantly higher mean ESR and CRP than group B. GLSs in group A were significantly lower than in group B: 16.7±2.6 vs. 19.1±2.4 % (p = 0.012). GLS showed statistically significant negative moderate correlations with disease duration, DAS 28 score ESR, DAS 28 score CRP and significant negative weak correlation with the tender joint. Duration of rheumatoid disease, DAS28-CRP, and DAS28-ESR score were significantly associated with lower values of GLSs. Conclusion: RA patients with high DAS and no clinical CVD have lower LV systolic function than RA with low DAS. Serial GLSs measurement is considered as a long-term follow-up tool in these patients.

Keywords

Main Subjects