RESEARCH - RA associated with increased left ventricular mass

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Rheumatoid Arthritis Associated With Increased Left Ventricular Mass

By Baltic

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Jan 22 - Rheumatoid arthritis is

independently related to increased left ventricular (LV) mass and

hypertrophy, according to a study in the January issue of Arthritis &

Rheumatism.

Because age at diagnosis and disease duration were also independently

related to LV mass, co-author Dr. Roman of Weill Medical College

of Cornell University and colleagues suggest that rheumatoid arthritis

might have a direct effect on LV structure, linking the chronic

inflammation caused by the disease to the development of LV

hypertrophy.

The study also found that systolic function was preserved in

rheumatoid arthritis patients; ejection fraction was higher among

these patients than among the healthy matched control subjects (p <

0.001). This suggests, the authors wrote, " that systolic dysfunction

is not an intrinsic feature of rheumatoid arthritis or the cause of

heart failure in rheumatoid arthritis independent of other

cardiovascular disease. "

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Read the rest of the article here:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/587216

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