NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—A new study has identified myocardial and vascular abnormalities in patients with newly diagnosed, treatment-naive rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
“The study suggests cardiac abnormalities already exist in newly diagnosed patients with RA,” senior author Dr. Maya Buch of the University of Leeds in the UK told Reuters Health by email.
“Specifically, a reduction in the thickness of the left ventricle was seen. Over time, this can be associated with reduced heart function. An increase in arterial stiffness was also recorded, which has been associated with increased cardiovascular events. These are fascinating data, as we did not necessarily expect to see changes so early on,” she said.
Dr. Buch presented the findings on June 12 at the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Annual Congress in Rome.
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