Two Autoimmune Diseases Common in Senior Citizens
Linked to Cardiovascular Disease
Polymyositis and dermatomyositis cause serious
inflammation of muscle tissue, leading to weakness and reduced mobility
See "About
Myositis" below story... MedlinePLUS
Sept. 1, 2009 - 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. Polymyositis (PM) and dermatomyositis (DM) are most common
in senior citizens and women, although they can affect people of any
age.
Dr. Christian A. Pineau and his team at the
Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) have
linked muscular inflammation to increased cardiovascular risk for the
first time.
Statins' benefits have not been found to exceed
their risks in those over 70 or 75 years old, even those with heart
disease
Jan. 27, 2009 – A new review report has found 900
studies reporting on the adverse effects of taking statins – from the
most common, muscle problems, to cognitive difficulties.
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.
Their results were published recently in The
Journal of Rheumatology.
"Inflammation has recently been recognized as a
risk factor – along with hypertension and cholesterol problems – for
arterial diseases that can lead to events such as heart attacks," 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.
"Our results indicate that the risk of heart attack
is twice as high in these people as in the general population," says Dr.
Sasha Bernatsky, a study co-author.
"Each 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."
The researchers also noted that the
immunosuppressive therapies currently used to treat PM and DM may have a
preventive effect against heart attacks.
"This 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," adds Dr. Pineau, noting that some
patients are concerned about the possible side-effects of
immunosuppressive therapies, such as reduced immunity to infection.
"Sometimes patients do not want to undergo
immunosuppressive treatment, which can last for years," adds Dr.
Bernatsky. "Knowing that it has additional preventive effects may help
some people decide to opt for the treatment."
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.
This article was co-authored by Dr. Annaliese
Tisseverasinghe of the MUHC, and Drs. Sasha Bernatsky and Christian A.
Pineau of RI-MUHC and McGill University.
This study was funded by a grant from the Canadian
Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
Dr. Sasha Bernatsky is a researcher in the RI-MUHC
Musculoskeletal Disorders Axis, and a doctor in rheumatology and
epidemiology at the MUHC clinic. She is also an assistant professor in
the McGill University Faculty of Medicine.
Dr. Annaliese Tisseverasinghe is a former internal
medicine resident at the MUHC. She is currently pursuing her studies in
rheumatology.
Dr Christian A. Pineau 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 associate professor in the McGill University
Faculty of Medicine.
The McGill University Health Centre
The McGill University 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.
www.muhc.ca
The Research Institute of the McGill University
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 McGill University.
Myositis is inflammation of your skeletal muscles,
which are also called the voluntary muscles. These are the muscles you
consciously control that help you move your body. An injury, infection
or
autoimmune disease can cause myositis.
The diseases dermatomyositis and polymyositis both
involve myositis. Polymyositis causes muscle weakness, usually in the
muscles closest to the trunk of your body. Dermatomyositis causes muscle
weakness, plus a skin rash. Both diseases are usually treated with
prednisone, a steroid medicine, and sometimes other medicines.
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Dermatomyositis(National
Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary
(National
Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary 