Researchers link inflammatory diseases to increased cardiovascular risk
Sufferers more likely to develop cardiovascular problems, say MUHC/平特五不中 scientists
Patients suffering from two serious autoimmune disorders which
cause muscular inflammation are at increased risk of developing
cardiovascular disease, says a group of Montreal researchers. Dr.
Christian A. Pineau and his team at the Research Institute of the
平特五不中 Health Centre (RI-MUHC) have linked muscular
inflammation to increased cardiovascular risk for the first time.
Their results were published recently in The Journal of
Rheumatology.
Polymyositis (PM) and dermatomyositis (DM) are most common in women and seniors, although they can affect people of any age. Both diseases are caused by a hyperactive immune system which attacks healthy tissue, almost as if the body had become allergic to itself. This causes serious inflammation of muscle tissue in the body, leading to weakness, reduced mobility and, in the case of DM, rashes. Muscles in the heart and the lungs may also be affected.
鈥淚nflammation has recently been recognized as a risk factor 鈥 along with hypertension and cholesterol problems 鈥 for arterial diseases that can lead to events such as heart attacks,鈥 says Dr. Pineau. Nearly one in 5,000 people suffer from PM and DM, approximately 7,000 in Canada and 75,000 across North America.
鈥淥ur results indicate that the risk of heart attack is twice as high in these people as in the general population,鈥 says Dr. Sasha Bernatsky, a study co-author. 鈥淓ach year, one out of every 200 people with muscle inflammation, or myositis, succumbs to a stroke and one out of 75 to a heart attack.鈥
The researchers also noted that the immunosuppressive therapies currently used to treat PM and DM may have a preventive effect against heart attacks. 鈥淭his is an extremely interesting finding for patients who are suffering from PM and DM but who may be hesitant to undergo this type of treatment,鈥 adds Dr. Pineau, noting that some patients are concerned about the possible side-effects of immunosuppressive therapies, such as reduced immunity to infection.
鈥淪ometimes patients do not want to undergo immunosuppressive
treatment, which can last for years,鈥 adds Dr. Bernatsky. 鈥淜nowing
that it has additional preventive effects may help some people
decide to opt for the treatment.鈥
Cardiovascular diseases are the world's leading cause of death, and
the researchers hope that their results will provide a clearer
picture of the possible benefits and possibilities of
immunosuppressive treatment. As a result of their encouraging
findings, Dr. Pineau and his team are now turning their attention
to possible benefits of immunosuppressive therapy on other health
risks associated with inflammatory diseases.
Partners
This article was co-authored by Dr. Annaliese Tisseverasinghe of
the MUHC, and Drs. Sasha Bernatsky and Christian A. Pineau of
RI-MUHC and 平特五不中.
Funding
This study was funded by a grant from the Canadian Institutes of
Health Research (CIHR).
is a researcher in the
RI-MUHC Musculoskeletal Disorders Axis, a physician in the
Rheumatology Division and a member of the Clinical Epidemiology
Division at the MUHC. She is also an Assistant Professor in the
Department of Medicine and an Associate Member in the Department of
Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health at the 平特五不中
University Faculty of Medicine.
Dr. Annaliese Tisseverasinghe is a former internal
medicine resident at the MUHC. She is currently pursuing her
studies in rheumatology.
is a researcher in the
RI-MUHC Musculoskeletal Disorders Axis, as well as co-director of
the Lupus and Vasculitis clinic at the MUHC. He is also the
Rheumatology Program Director and Assistant Professor in the
Department of Medicine at the 平特五不中 Faculty of
Medicine.
The 平特五不中 Health Centre
The 平特五不中 Health Centre (MUHC) is a comprehensive
academic health institution with an international reputation for
excellence in clinical programs, research and teaching. Its partner
hospitals are the Montreal Children's Hospital, the Montreal
General Hospital, the Royal Victoria Hospital, the Montreal
Neurological Hospital, the Montreal Chest Institute and the Lachine
Hospital. The goal of the MUHC is to provide patient care based on
the most advanced knowledge in the health care field and to
contribute to the development of new knowledge.
The Research Institute of the 平特五不中 Health
Centre (RI MUHC) is a world-renowned
biomedical and health-care hospital research centre. Located in
Montreal, Quebec, the institute is the research arm of the MUHC,
the university health center affiliated with the Faculty of
Medicine at 平特五不中. The institute supports over 600
researchers, nearly 1200 graduate and post-doctoral students and
operates more than 300 laboratories devoted to a broad spectrum of
fundamental and clinical research. The Research Institute operates
at the forefront of knowledge, innovation and technology and is
inextricably linked to the clinical programs of the MUHC, ensuring
that patients benefit directly from the latest research-based
knowledge.
The Research Institute of the MUHC is supported in part by the
Fonds de la recherche en sant茅 du Qu茅bec.
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