%0 Journal Article
%T Cardiac Manifestations of Rheumatological Conditions: A Narrative Review
%A Mohammad Bagher Owlia
%A Seyed Mohammad Yousof Mostafavi Pour Manshadi
%A Nafiseh Naderi
%J ISRN Rheumatology
%D 2012
%R 10.5402/2012/463620
%X Cardiovascular diseases are common in systemic rheumatologic diseases. They can be presented at the time of diagnosis or after diagnosis. The cardiac involvements can be the first presentation of rheumatologic conditions. It means that a patient with rheumatologic disease may go to a cardiologist when attacked by this disease at first. These manifestations are very different and involve different structures of the heart, and they can cause mortality and morbidity of patients with rheumatologic diseases. Cardiac involvements in these patients vary from subclinical to severe manifestations. They may need aggressive immunosuppressive therapy. The diagnosis of these conditions is very important for choosing the best treatment. Premature atherosclerosis and ischemic heart disease are increased in rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus, and may be causes of mortality among them. The aggressive control of systemic inflammation in these diseases can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease especially ischemic heart disease. Although aggressive treatment of primary rheumatologic diseases can decrease mortality rate and improve them, at this time, there are no specific guidelines and recommendations, to include aggressive control and prevention of traditional risk factors, for them. 1. Introduction Systemic rheumatic diseases are autoimmune inflammatory conditions that involve several organs, frequently involving the blood vessels and the heart. Cardiac disease may occur in patients with a definite diagnosis of a rheumatologic disorder, or may be the initial manifestation in patients with no prior diagnosis. Cardiac involvements in rheumatic diseases can show themselves in different ways from asymptomatic or mild to severe or life-threatening and are significant causes of morbidity and mortality in patients with rheumatic disorders. Rheumatologic diseases can be considered as causes of myocardial, valvular, and pericardial and conduction system abnormalities. Because of these abnormalities, it is thought that rheumatologic disorders have been associated with premature atherosclerosis leading to ischemic heart disease at young ages. The increased risk of coronary disorders cannot be solely attributed to traditional cardiovascular (CV) risk factors, and may be a result of chronic systemic inflammation from the rheumatic disease. The prevalence and importance of cardiovascular disease in rheumatologic disorders have increased in the setting of therapeutic advances. One should consider chronic inflammation as a cause of cardiac diseases in people with
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn.rheumatology/2012/463620/