Pulmonary hypertension in rheumatoid arthritis
Articles > Article · 2004
Authors: Gökhan KESER, I Capar, Kenan AKSU, V Inal, Z Danaoglu, Recep SAVAŞ, F Oksel, E Tunc, Yasemin KABASAKAL, G Kitapcioglu, E Doganavsargil
SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF RHEUMATOLOGY, Journal Indexed in SCI Expanded, International, 2004, vol 33, pp 244-245
DOI: 10.1080/03009740410005809
Summary
Using Doppler echocardiography (DE), we measured pulmonary arterial systolic pressure (PASP) in rheumatoid arthritis ( RA) patients without coexisting cardiopulmonary diseases. Accepting the normal upper limit of PASP as 30 mmHg, we found elevated PASP in 11 out of 40 (27.5%) RA patients, values being mostly 30 - 40 mmHg, indicating mild pulmonary hypertension (PHT). Although estimation of PASP by DE is not as reliable as cardiac catheterisation, it is possible that mild elevations in PASP may contribute to the high incidence of cardiovascular events not explained by traditional cardiac risk factors in patients with RA. Longterm follow-up will be obviously necessary to ascertain the impact of mild PHT on the prognosis and mortality rate of RA patients.