OBJECTIVES: To measure the prevalence of, and factors associated with, left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in systemic sclerosis (SSc). METHODS: The EUSTAR database was first searched. A casecontrol study of a patient subset was then performed to further identify independent factors associated with LV dysfunction by simple and multiple regression. RESULTS: Of 7073 patients, 383 (5.4%) had an LV ejection fraction (EF) of <55%. By multiple regression analysis, age, sex, diffuse cutaneous disease, disease duration, digital ulcerations, renal and muscle involvement, disease activity score, pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary arterial hypertension were associated with LV dysfunction. In the second phase, 129 patients with SSc with LVEF <55% were compared with 256 patients with SSc with normal LVEF. Male sex (OR 3.48; 95% CI 1.74 to 6.98), age (OR 1.03; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.06), digital ulcerations (OR 1.91; 95% CI 1.05 to 3.50), myositis (OR 2.88; 95% CI 1.15 to 7.19) and use of calcium channel blockers (OR 0.41; 95% CI 0.22 to 0.74) were independent factors associated with LV dysfunction. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of LV dysfunction in SSc is 5.4%. Age, male gender, digital ulcerations, myositis and lung involvement are independently associated with an increased prevalence of LV dysfunction. Conversely, the use of calcium channel blockers may be protective. Prevalence and factors associated with left ventricular dysfunction in the EULAR Scleroderma Trial and Research group (EUSTAR) database of systemic sclerosis patientsAllanore Y (1), Meune C (2), Vonk MC (3), Airo P (4), Hachulla E (5), Caramaschi P (6), Riemekasten G (7), Cozzi F(8), Beretta L (9), Derk CT (10) AbstractStudy objectives and methods To measure the prevalence of, and factors associated with, left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in SSc, we first queried the EUSTAR database. In a second phase, we performed a case-control study of a patient subset, to further identify independent factors associated with LV dysfunction by simple and multiple regression. Results Among 7,073 patients, 383 (5.4%) had a LV ejection fraction (EF) <55%. By multiple regression analysis, age, sex, diffuse cutaneous disease, disease duration, digital ulcerations, renal and muscle involvement, disease activity score, pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) were associated with LV dysfunction. In a second phase, 129 SSc patients with LVEF <55% were compared with 256 SSc patients with normal LVEF. Male sex (OR 3.48; 95% CI1.74-6.98), age (OR 1.03; 95% CI 1.01-1.06), digital ulcerations (OR 1.91; 95% CI 1.05-3.50), myositis (OR 2.88; 95% CI 1.15-7.19), and calcium channel blockers (CCB) use (OR 0.41; 95% CI 0.22-0.74) were independent factors associated with LV dysfunction.

Background--The majority of women with angina-like chest pain have no obstructive coronary artery disease when evaluated with coronary angiography. Coronary microvascular dysfunction is a possible explanation and associated with a poor prognosis. This study evaluated the prevalence of coronary microvascular dysfunction and the association with symptoms, cardiovascular risk factors, psychosocial factors, and results from diagnostic stress testing.

These results demonstrated that serum concentrations of YKL-40 are greatly increased in AMI patients with and without thrombolytic therapy.

PIIINP assessed in the subacute phase of MI relates to long-term changes of LV function and provides clinical prognostic information.