Myocardial Inflammation, Measured Using 18-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography With Computed Tomography, Is Associated With Disease Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To determine the prevalence and correlates of subclinical myocardial inflammation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods

RA patients (n = 119) without known cardiovascular disease underwent cardiac 18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography with computed tomography (PET-CT). Myocardial FDG uptake was assessed visually and measured quantitatively as the standardized uptake value (SUV). Multivariable linear regression was used to assess the associations of patient characteristics with myocardial SUVs. A subset of RA patients who had to escalate their disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) therapy (n = 8) underwent a second FDG PET-CT scan after 6 months, to assess treatment-associated changes in myocardial FDG uptake.

Results

V

SUBMITTER: Amigues I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6438738 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature