Cardiac Manifestations of Rheumatic Diseases - An Overview

Rheumatic diseases lead to increased cardiovascular risk, possibly with specific inflammatory changes in every part of the heart. Symptoms like dyspnoea, tachycardia and general impairment are frequent, but asymptomatic cardiac changes are not uncommon. Diagnostic tools range from physical examination and laboratory testing to imaging techniques like echocardiography or cardiac MRI. Invasive procedures like heart catheterisation including myocardial biopsy are additional options. Therapy depends on the underlying disease, and structural involvement and varies from medication to surgical or interventional procedures.