CARDIAC INVOLVEMENT IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS-A CLINICAL STUDY-

Abstract

1. In order to determine the incidence of the cardiac involvement in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), electrocardiographic, mechanocardiographic and echocardiographic studies were carried out on 92 patients.
2. Electrocardiographic abnormalities were found in 31 of 92 cases (34 %). A slight left axis deviation from 0 to-30°, sporadic ventricular premature beats and T wave changes were frequent findings.
3. Although the systolic pressure was significantly higher in the presence of electrocardiographic abnormalities, electrocardiographic findings has no obvious relationship with the cardiothoracic ratio, heart rate, hemoglobin concentration or the result of RA test.
4. The preejection period/left ventricular ejection time ratios measured in 10 patients were almost the same as in the normal subjects, although the values tended to be greater in the cases with increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate and/or low hemoglobin concentration.
5. Echocardiography revealed evidences of pericardial effusion in 3 of 11 cases, while routine electrocardiograms and chest x-ray films were not contributory. The usefulness of echocardiography to detect a cardiac involvement in RA was suggested.