Gout and the Heart
The association between gout and cardiovascular diseases has been noted for centuries but was not subjected to rigorous epidemiologic studies until recently. The published literature is almost unanimous in the…
Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Related to Connective Tissue Disease
Associated pulmonary arterial hypertension related to connective tissue disorders carries significant morbidity and a high mortality. The purpose of this review article is to present an updated account of the…
Systemic Sclerosis and the Heart
Heart disease, either clinically apparent or silent, is a frequent complication of systemic sclerosis (SSc, scleroderma) and may affect both patients with diffuse cutaneous and limited cutaneous SSc. The availability…
The Heart and Pediatric Rheumatology
Recent advances in Kawasaki disease have included attempts to define genes involved in its pathogenesis. There have been recent advances in the studies of rheumatic carditis, leading to a better…
Cardiac Manifestations of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disorder that manifests with multiorgan inflammation. Cardiac involvement is common, with manifestation that include pericarditis, myocarditis, conduction defects, valvular disease, and coronary…
Cardiovascular Disease in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Cardiovascular disease causes significant morbidity and mortality in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Accelerated atherosclerosis caused by inflammation is the hallmark of cardiovascular disease in RA. Cardiac involvement as an extra-articular manifestation…
The Heart in Vasculitis
Any cardiac tissue can be affected in most primary vasculitides. However, certain entities such as eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (or Churg-Strauss syndrome) and Takayasu arteritis involve the heart in up…
The Heart in Inflammatory Myopathies
Cardiac involvement in the idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) has been reported in 5% to 70% of cases. It is estimated that between 15% and 55% of deaths are related to…
