Importance of Electrocardiogram for Detection of Preclinical Abnormalities in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis without Cardiovascular Events

Abstract

Introduction: In patients with rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular involvement is common, may have serious consequences, and can contribute to worsening of patient’s outcome. The realization of systematic electrocardiogram can help to detect earlier cardiac abnormalities and place in a logical secondary prevention. Our purpose of this study was to investigate the electrocardiographic abnormalities in a population of Senegalese patients with rheumatoid arthritis without clinically evident cardiovascular manifestations. Patients and methods: The study was performed as a cross-sectional study, which included prospectively 73 patients of both sexes aged at least 18 years in the internal medicine department of University Hospital Center Aristide Le Dantec in Dakar, Senegal, fulfilling the criteria for definite or classical rheumatoid arthritis according to the criteria of the American Rheumatism Association. It focused on a sample of following clinical examination, we conducted laboratory tests (CRP, fibrinogen, ESR, Rheumatoid factors, Latex and Waaler Rose, Anti-CCP, antinuclear factors and antibodies anti-ENA), a standard ECG. Data were analyzed using a descriptive study of the different variables with the calculation of proportions for categorical variables, and the positional parameters and dispersion for quantitative variables. Results: All patients had normal ECG and no cardiac symptoms or dyspnoea on effort. The study included 73 patients (68 females and 5males) with rheumatoid arthritis without obvious cardiac events meet the criteria of definition of the ACR 1987. The mean age was 44.17 ± 14.43 years with extremes of 18 and 75 years. The mean duration of RA was 5.93 ± 4.78 years. The concept of family inflammatory arthritis was reported in 35.60% of cases and almost one in six patients had at least a factor of cardiovascular risk (16.96%). Electrocardiographic abnormalities found were dominated by left ventricular hypertrophy encountered in 34 patients (46.57%), left atrial enlargement in 32.90% of cases, 16.44% of patients had left axis deviation. The myocardial hyper excitability was present in 8 patients (11.19%), including 6 (8.45%) ventricular premature beats found in patients with active RA. Twenty-six patients had signs consistent with an ischemia and/or myocardial injury is a rate of 35.61%. Conclusion: The realization of the electrocardiogram in patients with rheumatoid arthritis without clinically evident cardiovascular manifestations allows highlighting cardiovascular abnormalities related to the natural course of the disease.