(János Bolyai Research Scholarship of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.)
Subjects:
Cardiovascular system
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with increased cardiovascular (CV) risk, yet
the mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate myocardial structure,
function, and tissue characterization using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR)
in RA patients and explore associations with RA disease severity.This mixed case-control
study included 48 RA patients and 34 age- and sex-matched controls. RA patients were
enrolled based on ACR/EULAR criteria, excluding other autoimmune diseases or significant
coronary artery calcification. CMR assessed myocardial structure, function, and tissue
characteristics, including native T1/T2 mapping, ventricular volumes, strain analysis,
and late gadolinium enhancement. Linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, hypertension,
and diabetes evaluated associations between RA characteristics and CMR parameters.RA
patients exhibited elevated native T1 values (980 ± 34 ms vs. 955 ± 33 ms; P < 0.01),
indicative of subclinical myocardial fibrosis. Left ventricular global longitudinal
strain (GLS) was reduced (22 ± 2% vs. 24 ± 3%; P < 0.01), and increased left ventricular
mass and remodeling were observed. Right ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic
volume indices were lower in RA patients (RVEDVi: 68 ± 14 ml/m2 vs. 75 ± 12 ml/m2,
P = 0.02). Disease duration correlated negatively with GLS (β = -0.06, P < 0.05),
while higher DAS28 scores were linked to reduced ejection fraction (β = -4.11, P <
0.05).This study demonstrates significant myocardial alterations in RA patients, including
fibrosis, impaired systolic function, and ventricular remodeling, linked to disease
severity. These findings highlight the need for early CV risk assessment and inflammation
control to mitigate CV complications in RA.
