RA and the heart

[Frankiefocus]

Hello has anyone had heart problems since being diagnosed with RA and what are the signs to watch out for?

[Jemmel]

Hi just recently started with Atrial fibrillation and a narrowing of an artery. Have had RA for 22 years.

Tha AF causes your heart to have extra beats. Which causes palpitations. Am on drugs to thin my blood as it can cause a stroke and also drugs to prevent fluid around the heart.

[helixhelix]

Heart disease is very common, whether or not you have RA. And since I have family history of heart disease then I can’t really blame the RA.

Symptoms are usually the same - breathlessness, chest pain, weird sensations of heart racing or slowing, feeling dizzy. I’ve just had a whole flurry of investigations which have concluded I have one valve in poor condition and blockage of smaller arteries in one area of my heart. So nothing imminently awful.

So I just need to follow heart healthy lifestyle. And I’d encourage everyone over a certain age to think about that whether or not you have symptoms. Prevention is best tactic. Only problem is that I’m finding it hard to do cardio exercise with RA......

[Sumdy in reply to helixhelix]

Hi Helix. That's worrying as I know you already follow a healthy lifestyle. Do you not think it has anything to do with the RA? Although my dad had heart disease I don't really know a lot about it but I'm glad you don't think it's too serious 🙂

[Arefivecatstoomany]

I’ve had RA for 10 years and was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation 3 years ago. Had ablation 2 years ago which was successful. On Rivaroxaban forever.

[Hidden]

NRAS has on online tutorial called Love Your Heart nras.org.uk/love-your-heart - it helps you assess your own risk of developing CVD and shows you how you can reduced such risk. You can dip in and out of hte programme, set your own personal goals etc. Do take a look and I would hope it will give you valuable information and help.

[helixhelix in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Clare. I was about to look at the NRAS site.

[Ruth12345]

I have just been told im having the odd irregular beat and a long Q T gap which I didn't have before RD. As I was having dizzy fluttering episodes. Gp waiting for cardiologist to respond to email of my ecg sent. I was concerned as they rushed it through but not heard back in 2 weeks so presume it's not serious. So that's me.

[wishbone]

I had a mild heart attack around 15 years ago, a year or so after being diagnosed with RA. Symptoms are the usual suspects as helix says....I had chest pain. According to the cardiologist my RA was inactive at the time (those were the days!) so not responsible. An angiogram showed no obvious problems and there was no explanation what caused the heart attack.

My understanding is that inflammation can be the culprit, so it goes without saying that it's best to keep it low as possible by keeping our RA under control. Mine has been anything but this past five years and I'm still alive if not exactly kicking! That's not to say that I'm not concerned about my high inflammation markers..I am, as is my GP, with whom the coin seems to have finally dropped that when I tell him I'm in pain I bloody well mean it!

mini-rant over.

[Hidden]

Hi Frankiefocus

I put mine down to stress and diclofenic but I am still getting gripe pains and breathing issues. Local GP did an ecg and all ok but he has said to note this issue with rheumy so he can do more tests as it can be issue. Plus I have nodules and other stuff that could lead to heart stuff.

Check check check and double check with GP and rheumy dont pretendit is not happening.

[Frankiefocus]

Many thanks for all your comments.

[Lulumae]

I was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation about five years ago. Have RD for approximately 25 years. The symptoms were breathlessness, very fast heart rate, and dizziness. I had a cardioversion to put me back in sinus and have been on Apixaban ( blood thinner) ever since. Not sure if it is related as my father had heart problems as well.

[14penny]

Hi Frankiefocus.

I have had RA for abour 12 years and had chest pains which \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\i could not ignore after four days and went to A and E where they found I had periocarditis which is an inflammation round the heart and sepsis which was all cured through antibiotics and was probably caused from RA I take methotrexate and prednisolone. Hope this helps so don't ignore chest pains. Take care 14penny

[wishbone in reply to 14penny]

Very nasty! Good that you didn't leave it any longer and recovered ok.

[Tile]

People who have had rheumatic fever which affect the heart valves

when they were young would later on develop rheumatoid arthritis

there is a heart disease connection this is just one example.