DOI: N/A

Pages: 1-5

Data from population- and clinic-based epidemiologic studies of rheumatoid arthritis patients suggest that individuals with rheumatoid arthritis are at risk for developing clinically evident congestive heart failure. Many established risk factors for congestive heart failure are over- represented in rheumatoid arthritis and likely account for some of the increased risk observed. At present, however, the direct effects of inflammatory cytokines (and rheumatoid arthritis therapies) on the myocardia of rheumatoid arthritis patients are incompletely understood. We report a case of RA first diagnosed after an episode of congestive heart failure (CHF) with total recovery of left ventricular function after immunosuppressive drugs administration.