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Diastolic dysfunction progresses more quickly in patients with RA
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Compared with the general population, diastolic dysfunction developed more rapidly in patients with rheumatoid arthritis during a 5-year period, according to research by John M. Davis III, MD, and colleagues, presented at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual European Congress of Rheumatology.
The study comprised 160 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 1,391 participants without RA form the Rochester Epidemiology Project. The mean age of patients with RA was 58.5 years compared with 61.1 years in the non-RA group, and 76.3% of the patients with RA were women compared with 50.6% of the non-RA group.
John M. Davis, III
Patients were evaluated at baseline and at approximately 4 years’ or 5 years’ follow-up. During both visits, patients were examined by a registered diagnostic cardiac sonographer who used pulse wave and tissue Doppler echocardiography to evaluate structural and hemodynamic status of each participant. Assessments followed guidelines from the American Society of Echocardiography, and linear regression models adjusted for age and sex were used to detect differences between patients with RA and the non-RA cohort.
Significant acceleration of the A velocity was observed among patients with RA compared with participants without RA, and the mean E/A ratio decreased more quickly in patients with RA. In both groups over time, the e’ velocity decreased and the E/e’ ratio increased, but the difference did not reach statistical significance, according to the researchers. – by Shirley Pulawski
Reference:
Davis JM, et al. Paper #THU0151. Presented at: European League Against Rheumatism Annual European Congress of Rheumatology; June 10-13, 2015; Rome.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.