Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs are associated with a reduced risk for cardiovascular disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a case control study

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by inflammation and an increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study investigates possible associations between CVD and the use of conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in RA. Using a case control design, 613 RA patients (5,649 patient-years) were studied, 72 with CVD and 541 without CVD. Data on RA, CVD and drug treatment were evaluated from time of RA diagnosis up to the first cardiovascular event or the end of the follow-up period. The dataset was categorized according to DMARD use: sulfasalazine (SSZ), hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) or methotrexate (MTX). Odds ratios (ORs) for CVD, corrected for age, gender, smoking and RA duration, were calculated per DMARD group. Patients who never used SSZ, HCQ or MTX were used as a reference group. MTX treatment was associated with a significant CVD risk reduction, with ORs (95% CI): 'MTX only', 0.16 (0.04 to 0.66); 'MTX and SSZ ever', 0.20 (0.08 to 0.51); and 'MTX, SSZ and HCQ ever', 0.20 (0.08 to 0.54). The risk reductions remained significant after additional correction for the presence of rheumatoid factor and erosions. After correction for hypertension, diabetes and hypercholesterolemia, 'MTX or SSZ ever' and 'MTX, SSZ and HCQ ever' showed significant CVD risk reduction. Rheumatoid factor positivity and erosions both increased CVD risk, with ORs of 2.04 (1.02 to 4.07) and 2.36 (0.92 to 6.08), respectively. MTX and, to a lesser extent, SSZ were associated with significantly lower CVD risk compared to RA patients who never used SSZ, HCQ or MTX. We hypothesize that DMARD use, in particular MTX use, results in powerful suppression of inflammation, thereby reducing the development of atherosclerosis and subsequently clinically overt CVD

Mode of death in Shapiro syndrome: A case report

Background Shapiro syndrome is extremely rare and is characterized by the triad of spontaneous periodic hypothermia, hyperhidrosis and agenesis of the corpus callosum, resulting in neurological and psychological disorders. The exact mechanism of this syndrome is unknown and treatment consists of controlling the periodic attacks. This case report describes a case of Shapiro syndrome presenting with ventricular fibrillation (VF) who was treated with dual chamber implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) therapy. Case summary A 45-year-old man, suffering from Shapiro syndrome with frequent hypothermic attacks, was admitted to the emergency department with an out of hospital cardiac arrest caused by VF due to hypothermia. To prevent cardiac death during future hypothermic attacks with VF, the patient was treated with a dual chamber ICD. Within 1 month after ICD implantation the patient had two events of ventricular tachycardia/VF during hypothermia, which were both successfully terminated by an ICD shock. One year after ICD implantation the patient suffered from an uncontrolled urinary tract infection and the patient passed away. Post-mortem interrogation of the ICD did not reveal further episodes of VF and showed a higher supraventricular heartrate in the last days before his death, probably due to a sinus tachycardia driven by the infection. It was concluded that the most likely cause of death was an uncontrolled sepsis. Discussion The current case showed that ICD therapy can be successful in treating VF episodes in patients with unexpected periods of hypothermia

Cardiovascular risk profile of antirheumatic agents in patients with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis

Several new drugs have become available for the treatment of patients with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). These agents include selective cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitors, leflunomide and anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha antagonists. COX-2 inhibitors have a more favourable gastrointestinal adverse effect profile than conventional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). However, the COX-2 inhibitors are also associated with hypertension, oedema and congestive heart failure, the well-known adverse effects of conventional NSAIDs. Patients with treated hypertension should be monitored regularly when conventional NSAIDs or COX-2 inhibitors are administered. At present, there is a considerable debate regarding the risk of cardiovascular events with the COX-2 inhibitors. The available literature gives no unequivocal answers. This matter can only be solved by an appropriate trial assessing the cardiovascular risk of these agents. Patients with RA appear to have an enhanced cardiovascular risk which might be related to an unfavourable lipid profile. Corticosteroids induce hypercholesterolaemia in patients other than those with RA. It was recently shown that total and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol were low in patients with RA who had a high disease activity. Contrary to the expectation, combination therapy with prednisolone rapidly improved the atherogenic index (total/HDL cholesterol). Ongoing studies investigating this topic are underway. It is not known to what extent corticosteroids induce hypertension in patients with RA. Hence, we advocate blood pressure control for these patients. A small percentage of patients with RA develop hypertension when taking leflunomide, and no other serious cardiovascular adverse effects have been reported in the literature. Blood pressure monitoring is recommended especially in the first months of treatment. TNFalpha antagonists are contraindicated in patients with RA who have congestive heart failure. No specific cardiovascular adverse effects have been reported with the use of these agents in the non-cardiovascular compromised patient. TNFalpha antagonists are the most powerful anti-inflammatory drugs presently available. As inflammation plays an important role in RA as well as in cardiovascular disease and, in view of the increased cardiovascular risk in RA, it is tempting to expect that suppression of inflammation ultimately will lower the cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with RA

Loss of capture of conduction system pacemaker caused by fibrosis surrounding the lead: a case report

Abstract Background Conduction system pacing (CSP) is a novel technique that involves pacing the His-Purkinje system instead of the traditional right ventricular (RV) apex. This technique aims to avoid the adverse effects of RV apical pacing, which can lead to ventricular dyssynchrony and heart failure over time. CSP is gaining popularity but its long-term efficacy and challenges remain uncertain. This report discusses a case where CSP was initially successful but faced complications due to an increasing pacing threshold. Case presentation A 65-year-old female with total atrioventricular block was referred for brady-pacing. Due to the potential for chronic RV pacing, CSP was chosen. The CSP implantation involved subcutaneous device placement, with a CSP lead in the left bundle branch area (LBBA) and an RV backup lead. A year after successful implantation, the LBBA pacing threshold progressively increased. Subsequent efforts to correct it led to anodal capture and battery depletion. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) revealed mid-septal fibrosis at the area of LBBA lead placement and suggested cardiac sarcoidosis as a possible cause. Conclusion CSP is a promising technique for treating bradyarrhythmias, but this case underscores the need for vigilance in monitoring pacing thresholds. Increasing thresholds can render CSP ineffective, necessitating alternative pacing methods. The CMR findings of mid-septal fibrosis and the potential diagnosis of cardiac sarcoidosis emphasize the importance of pre-implantation assessment, as CSP may be compromised by underlying structural abnormalities. This report highlights the complexities of pacing strategy selection and the significance of comprehensive evaluation before adopting CSP

The effect of anti-tnf therapy on cardiac function in rheumatoid arthritis: An observational study

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is the second most prevalent cause of death in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The systemic inflammatory state in RA patients is deemed responsible for this finding. Anti-inflammatory treatment with anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) therapy decreases CV risk and subsequently might improve the cardiac function by lowering the overall inflammatory state. This study investigated the effect of anti-TNF on the cardiac function in RA patients. Fifty one RA patients were included, of which thirty three completed follow-up. Included patients were >18 years, had moderate–high disease activity and no history of cardiac disease. Patients were assessed at baseline and after six months of anti-TNF treatment. Patients underwent conventional Speckle tracking and tissue Doppler echocardiography in combination with clinical and laboratory assessments at baseline and follow-up. The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and global longitudinal strain (GLS) showed no changes during follow-up, LVEF 63% (±9) to 62% (±8) p = 0.097 and GLS −20 (±4) to −20 (±3) p = 0.79, respectively. Furthermore, E/e’ nor E/A changed significantly between baseline and follow-up, respectively 8 (7–9) and 8 (7–9) p = 0.17 and 1.1 (±0.4) and 1.1 (±0.4) p = 0.94. Follow-up NT-proBNP decreased with 23%, from 89 ng/L (47–142) to 69 ng/L (42–155), p = 0.10. Regression analysis revealed no association between change in inflammatory variables and cardiac function. Echocardiography showed no effect of anti-TNF treatment on the cardiac function in RA patients with low prevalence of cardiac dysfunction. Moreover, NT-proBNP decreased, possibly indicating (subtle) improvement of the cardiac function

The Prevalence of Cardiac Diseases in a Contemporary Large Cohort of Dutch Elderly Ankylosing Spondylitis Patients—The CARDAS Study

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of specific cardiac manifestations, i.e., conduction disorders, valvular disease and diastolic left ventricular (LV) dysfunction, in a large cross-sectional controlled cohort of elderly ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients. Methods: This cross-sectional study assessed the prevalence of valvular disease, conduction disorders and LV dysfunction in 193 randomly selected AS patients compared with 74 osteoarthritis (OA) controls aged 50–75 years. Patients underwent conventional and tissue Doppler echocardiography in combination with clinical and laboratory assessments. Multivariate regression analyses were performed to compare the odds of mitral valve regurgitation (MVR) and aortic valve regurgitation (AVR) between AS patients and OA controls. Results: The prevalence of diastolic dysfunction was trivial and comparable in AS patients compared to controls (respectively, 4% and 3%) and had no further clinical relevance. In addition, the prevalence of conduction disturbances was similar in both groups, with little clinical relevance, respectively 23% vs. 24%. The prevalence of AVR was significantly higher in AS patients compared to the controls, respectively 23% (9% trace, 12% mild, 1% moderate, 1% severe, 1% prosthesis) vs. 11%, p = 0.04. After correcting for age, sex and CV risk factors, AS patients had an odds ratio of 4.5 (95% CI 1.1–13.6) for AVR compared to the controls. In contrast, the prevalence values of MVR were similar and mostly not clinically relevant in AS patients and controls, respectively 36% and 32% and p = 0.46. Conclusion: The prevalence of diastolic LV dysfunction and conduction disorders was mostly not clinically relevant, and similar in AS patients and controls. However, AS patients had an up to five times increased odds to develop AVR compared to controls. Therefore, echocardiographic screening of elderly (50–75 years) AS patients should be considered