Abstract
(1) Background: Inflammation plays a pivotal role in atherosclerosis, and the association between chronic inflammatory states and ischemic heart disease (IHD) has been shown in several rheumatic diseases. Persistent inflammation might also be a risk factor for IHD in sarcoidosis patients. (2) Methods: Demographic and clinical data of 3750 sarcoidosis patients and 18,139 age- and sex-matched controls were retrieved from the database of Clalit Health Services, Israel’s largest healthcare organization. Variables associated with IHD were assessed by a logistic regression model. To assess for variables that were related to increased risk of all-cause mortality, the Cox proportional hazards method was used, and a log-rank test was performed for survival analysis. (3) Results: Both groups were composed of 64% females with a median age of 56 years. An association between sarcoidosis and IHD was demonstrated by a multivariate analysis (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.5; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.36–1.66). Long-term follow-up revealed increased mortality among sarcoidosis patients: 561 (15%) deaths compared to 1636 (9%) deaths among controls (p < 0.001). Survival analysis demonstrated that sarcoidosis patients were also at increased risk for all-cause mortality compared to controls (multivariate model, adjusted HR 1.93; 95% CI 1.76–2.13).
Highlights
Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is considered a leading cause of premature mortality worldwide [1,2]
A higher proportion of IHD was observed among sarcoidosis patients (21.4%, 856 cases) than among the controls (15.1%, 2999 cases)
Our results revealed that sarcoidosis patients have an adjusted OR of 1.57 for IHD, in line with the results of Ungprasert et al The same group [25] evaluated the accuracy of the Framingham risk score and the American
Summary
Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is considered a leading cause of premature mortality worldwide [1,2]. Potential etiologies of IHD include occlusion of the coronary arteries by plaque, coronary artery spasm, and coronary microvascular dysfunction [3]. Research over the past two decades suggested that inflammation plays a role in atherosclerosis [4]. Atherosclerosis was shown to be associated with various inflammatory states, ranging from local inflammation (e.g., periodontitis), to systemic rheumatic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus [5,6,7]. Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease characterized pathologically by the formation of non-caseating granulomas [8]. The clinical presentation of sarcoidosis varies greatly with respect to the affected organ or system
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
