Key result
Rheumatoid arthritis shows no association with impaired cardiovascular autonomic function compared to healthy controls.
Why the study?
Cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy has been reported in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases and may contribute to sudden death or myocardial infarction, but its presence in rheumatoid arthritis patients is unclear.
Does rheumatoid arthritis increase the prevalence of cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy compared to healthy controls?
Cross-Sectional (n=88)
Does rheumatoid arthritis increase the prevalence of cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy compared to healthy controls?
Absolute Event Rate: 6.8% vs 2.3%
p-value: p=0.3
This study found no significant difference in cardiovascular autonomic function between patients with rheumatoid arthritis and healthy controls.
No RA-autonomic dysfunction link in this cross-sectional sample; leaves open need for larger longitudinal studies.
OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to evaluate cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN) in RA patients by cardiovascular autonomic function tests. Because CAN was reported of patients with automimmune rheumatic diseases those may in sudden death or myocardial infarction. METHODS: A total of 44 patients with RA and 44 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers participated in this cross-sectional study. Assessment of CAN was performed using cardiovascular reflex tests. These five tests were: 1) beat-to-beat heart rate variation during deep breathing; 2) heart rate response to standing up; 3) heart rate response to the Valsalva maneuver; 4) blood pressure response to standing up; and 5) blood pressure response to sustained handgrip. RESULTS: The mean age was 43.15 (SD, 12.18) years (range, 23-68 years) in the RA group, and 38 were women. In beat-to-beat heart rate variation during deep breathing, expiration-to-inspiration ratio was abnormal in 3 cases with RA (6.8%) but in 1 (2.3%) control subject (p=0.3), and maximum minus minimum heart rate was abnormal in 8 patients (18.2%) and in 3 (6.8%) control subjects (p=0.1). 2) In heart rate response to standing up, all patients and controls had normal results. Valsalva ratio was abnormal in 7 RA patients (15.9%) and in 7 control subjects (15.9%). Blood pressure response to standing up was normal in RA patients but abnormal in 1 (2.3%) control subject (p=0.4). Blood pressure response to sustained handgrip was abnormal in 5 RA patients (11.4%) and 2 (4.6%) control subjects (p=0.2). CONCLUSION: Our study failed to show any statistically significant difference between cardiovascular autonomic function tests in RA patients with control subjects by our test done.
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Nejad et al. (2014) conducted a cross-sectional in Rheumatoid arthritis (n=88). Rheumatoid arthritis vs. Healthy volunteers was evaluated on Abnormal expiration-to-inspiration ratio during deep breathing (p=0.3). Rheumatoid arthritis was not associated with significant differences in cardiovascular autonomic function tests compared to healthy controls (e.g., abnormal expiration-to-inspiration ratio 6.8% vs 2.3%, p=0.3).
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