Cardiovascular Organ Damage in Clinical Subtypes of Systemic Sclerosis: Arterial Stiffness and Echocardiography Might Not Be the Ideal Tools for Patient Risk Stratification

Background. Vascular damage is recognized as a diagnostic landmark in systemic sclerosis (SSc), both in its limited and diffuse subtypes. Early detection at a subclinical stage with transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and carotid femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) may be helpful in therapeutic pla...

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Main Authors: Eleonora Avenatti, Giulia Bruno, Marta Priora, Simone Parisi, Chiara Ballini, Franco Veglio, Alberto Milan, Enrico Fusaro
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2021-01-01
Series:Cardiology Research and Practice
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/7915890
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author Eleonora Avenatti
Giulia Bruno
Marta Priora
Simone Parisi
Chiara Ballini
Franco Veglio
Alberto Milan
Enrico Fusaro
author_facet Eleonora Avenatti
Giulia Bruno
Marta Priora
Simone Parisi
Chiara Ballini
Franco Veglio
Alberto Milan
Enrico Fusaro
author_sort Eleonora Avenatti
collection DOAJ
description Background. Vascular damage is recognized as a diagnostic landmark in systemic sclerosis (SSc), both in its limited and diffuse subtypes. Early detection at a subclinical stage with transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and carotid femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) may be helpful in therapeutic planning and management. Aim of the Study. The aim of the study was to evaluate presence of subclinical cardiovascular damage in patients with limited and diffuse SSc in comparison with a cohort of healthy individuals. Methods. Consecutive patients with limited and diffuse SSc underwent complete TTE and cfPWV and a complete review of clinical data. As controls, 23 healthy subjects with similar hemodynamic profiles were selected. Results. 41 patients (35 female, aged 56.9 years), 21 with diffuse and 20 with limited SSc, were recruited. Past medical history, cardiovascular risk factors, gender distribution, and disease duration were similar in the two groups as well as TTE parameters and hemodynamic indexes—cfPWV (6.5 [6–6.8] vs. 7.0 [6.2–8.5], p=0.24) and augmentation index (145.6 ± 14.2 vs. 149 ± 20.6, p=0.52). Patients with limited SSc were 10 years older than patients with diffuse SSc. In the multiple regression analysis, only age (p=0.0154) and disease duration (p=0.0467) resulted as the significant determinant of cfPWV. When compared to healthy controls, no significant difference emerged in TTE or hemodynamic indexes. Conclusion. In SSc, cfPWV increases with age, with no additional impact of pathology or subtype. Vascular damage in the SSc population is not accurately reflected in increased arterial stiffness, as evaluated with cfPWV, or classically defined echocardiographic findings of organ damage (i.e., left ventricular concentric remodelling and increased filling pressures).
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spelling doaj-art-66fd21271ddc4333ad3a2fea8227b8562025-08-20T03:34:48ZengWileyCardiology Research and Practice2090-80162090-05972021-01-01202110.1155/2021/79158907915890Cardiovascular Organ Damage in Clinical Subtypes of Systemic Sclerosis: Arterial Stiffness and Echocardiography Might Not Be the Ideal Tools for Patient Risk StratificationEleonora Avenatti0Giulia Bruno1Marta Priora2Simone Parisi3Chiara Ballini4Franco Veglio5Alberto Milan6Enrico Fusaro7Internal Medicine and Hypertension Division, Department of Medical Sciences, AOU Citta’ Salute e Scienza of Turin, University of Turin, Turin, ItalyInternal Medicine and Hypertension Division, Department of Medical Sciences, AOU Citta’ Salute e Scienza of Turin, University of Turin, Turin, ItalyRheumatology Unit, AOU Citta’ Salute e Scienza of Turin, University of Turin, Turin, ItalyRheumatology Unit, AOU Citta’ Salute e Scienza of Turin, University of Turin, Turin, ItalyRheumatology Unit, AOU Citta’ Salute e Scienza of Turin, University of Turin, Turin, ItalyInternal Medicine and Hypertension Division, Department of Medical Sciences, AOU Citta’ Salute e Scienza of Turin, University of Turin, Turin, ItalyInternal Medicine and Hypertension Division, Department of Medical Sciences, AOU Citta’ Salute e Scienza of Turin, University of Turin, Turin, ItalyRheumatology Unit, AOU Citta’ Salute e Scienza of Turin, University of Turin, Turin, ItalyBackground. Vascular damage is recognized as a diagnostic landmark in systemic sclerosis (SSc), both in its limited and diffuse subtypes. Early detection at a subclinical stage with transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and carotid femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) may be helpful in therapeutic planning and management. Aim of the Study. The aim of the study was to evaluate presence of subclinical cardiovascular damage in patients with limited and diffuse SSc in comparison with a cohort of healthy individuals. Methods. Consecutive patients with limited and diffuse SSc underwent complete TTE and cfPWV and a complete review of clinical data. As controls, 23 healthy subjects with similar hemodynamic profiles were selected. Results. 41 patients (35 female, aged 56.9 years), 21 with diffuse and 20 with limited SSc, were recruited. Past medical history, cardiovascular risk factors, gender distribution, and disease duration were similar in the two groups as well as TTE parameters and hemodynamic indexes—cfPWV (6.5 [6–6.8] vs. 7.0 [6.2–8.5], p=0.24) and augmentation index (145.6 ± 14.2 vs. 149 ± 20.6, p=0.52). Patients with limited SSc were 10 years older than patients with diffuse SSc. In the multiple regression analysis, only age (p=0.0154) and disease duration (p=0.0467) resulted as the significant determinant of cfPWV. When compared to healthy controls, no significant difference emerged in TTE or hemodynamic indexes. Conclusion. In SSc, cfPWV increases with age, with no additional impact of pathology or subtype. Vascular damage in the SSc population is not accurately reflected in increased arterial stiffness, as evaluated with cfPWV, or classically defined echocardiographic findings of organ damage (i.e., left ventricular concentric remodelling and increased filling pressures).http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/7915890
spellingShingle Eleonora Avenatti
Giulia Bruno
Marta Priora
Simone Parisi
Chiara Ballini
Franco Veglio
Alberto Milan
Enrico Fusaro
Cardiovascular Organ Damage in Clinical Subtypes of Systemic Sclerosis: Arterial Stiffness and Echocardiography Might Not Be the Ideal Tools for Patient Risk Stratification
Cardiology Research and Practice
title Cardiovascular Organ Damage in Clinical Subtypes of Systemic Sclerosis: Arterial Stiffness and Echocardiography Might Not Be the Ideal Tools for Patient Risk Stratification
title_full Cardiovascular Organ Damage in Clinical Subtypes of Systemic Sclerosis: Arterial Stiffness and Echocardiography Might Not Be the Ideal Tools for Patient Risk Stratification
title_fullStr Cardiovascular Organ Damage in Clinical Subtypes of Systemic Sclerosis: Arterial Stiffness and Echocardiography Might Not Be the Ideal Tools for Patient Risk Stratification
title_full_unstemmed Cardiovascular Organ Damage in Clinical Subtypes of Systemic Sclerosis: Arterial Stiffness and Echocardiography Might Not Be the Ideal Tools for Patient Risk Stratification
title_short Cardiovascular Organ Damage in Clinical Subtypes of Systemic Sclerosis: Arterial Stiffness and Echocardiography Might Not Be the Ideal Tools for Patient Risk Stratification
title_sort cardiovascular organ damage in clinical subtypes of systemic sclerosis arterial stiffness and echocardiography might not be the ideal tools for patient risk stratification
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/7915890
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