Heart of the Matter : Heart Disease and Rheumatoid Arthritis
Posted on September 30th, 2008 by Aud under Diet & Nutrition, Exercise, Marfan Syndrome, Medications, Pain Management, Rheumatoid Arthritis, heart diseaseIf you're new here, subscribe to my RSS feed and follow along with my Aud life :)
I have 2 strikes going against me when it comes to the health of my heart.
Strike one- Marfans Syndrome, a condition that causes my connective tissue to be defective and not act the way it should. It affects my skin, bones, eyes and my heart. At present, I only have a heart murmur, but more severe cases include aortic dilation, leakage, tearing or rupture.
Strike Two- I have Rheumatoid Arthritis which can cause inflammation of the membranes surrounding the heart. Thank goodness this isn’t baseball or I’d be out next strike!! I don’t like baseball and haven’t watched it since the Jay’s won the pennant in ’92. I’m a hockey fan!
OK, back on track… heart disease and Rheumatoid Arthritis. A study done by Mayo Clinic researchers uncovered some results that would suggest Rheumatoid Arthritis sufferers have a higher risk of heart attacks and sudden cardiac deaths. They studied 1206 people over a period of 26 years. 603 people had RA the other half did not. The entire grouped was matched in age, gender and location. Conclusions were made that people with Rheumatoid Arthritis are 3 times more likely to have been hospitalized for an acute heart attack, less likely to have a history of chest pains and 5 times more likely to have an unrecognized heart attack because of pain medications masking pain, and twice as likely to die from sudden cardiac death.
Fortunately for me, I’m on a pretty hefty dose of blood thinners because of a blood clotting disorder so I don’t have to worry about that kind of blockage. I’m not overweight at all, and that eliminates some stress on my heart. I do however need to be vigilant about how Marfans affects my aorta and that Rheumatoid Arthritis can cause membrane inflammation. Keeping my doctors informed, educating myself on what to watch for, new possible treatments, and keeping myself fit will all be beneficial to the wellbeing of my ticker.
Is your RA affecting your heart? Got some experience you’d like to share? By all means, send me a comment!
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Tags: heart attacks and rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease and rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and heart disease
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Audrey,
I think one of the best things you’re doing for yourself is being pro-active. By doing all this research and knowing what symptoms to watch for, you’ll be better equipped to handle anything that comes up. And being pro-active also includes taking good care of yourself - Eating well, exercising and taking good vitamins. Have you looked into alternative therapies like yoga, meditation or reike?
~Marilyn
Hey Marilyn,
Thanks so much for your comment on my research! At first I thought it may be a bit hard- maybe focusing too much on the fact that I have this disease, but the more I learn, the better I feel, and it gives me a sense of freedom from RA as well.
I’ve thought about doing yoga, many have suggested it, but for some reason I love burning a lot of energy in power walking and I’m able to zone out in my own form of ‘meditation’!! I wonder how many other people meditate to Metallica, Beastie Boys or Bob Marley!
Thanks again for your comment!
~Audrey