A new study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology has found that people with ankylosing spondylitis who have no evidence of cardiac (heart) disease still may have increased stiffness of the aorta and decreased heart muscle/tissue (myocardial) performance - the severity of which correlates with disease activity.

According to a page on the American Heart Association website, increased stiffness of an artery can be a risk factor for elevated blood pressure and can add "load on the heart and likely damages the large and small vessels as well."

A small number of people with spondylitis will display signs of chronic inflammation in the base of the heart - around the aortic valve and origin of the aorta (i.e. that vessel which takes all blood from the heart to be distributed throughout the body). Years of chronic and silent inflammation at these sites can eventually lead to heart block and valve leakage, sometimes requiring surgical treatment. Although recognized, these cardiac lesions probably are seen in fewer than two percent of all patients with spondylitis, and nearly always in males. The lesions are readily detectable by the physician's examination and when necessary, cardiac testing.

To read the abstract of the study, please click here.

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