Impaired myocardial perfusion is associated with extracellular volume expansion, disease activity and impaired strain and strain rate in systemic sclerosis: a cardiovascular magnetic resonance study

Table 1 Baseline characteristics of SSc patients and controls

	Controls N=17	SSc N=17	P value
Female sex, n (%)	16 (94)	16 (94)	1.00
Age, years	55 ± 9	54 ± 10	0.76
Hypertension, n (%)	1 (6)	4 (24)	0.34
Diabetes, n (%)	0	0	-
Hyperlipidaemia, n (%)	2 (12)	3 (18)	0.63
BMI, kg/m2	24 ± 4	27 ± 7	0.21
Methotrexate, n (%)	N/A	5 (29)	-
Chloroquine, n (%)	N/A	1 (6)	-
Leflunomide, n (%)	N/A	1 (6)	-
Prednisolone, n (%)	N/A	1 (6)	-
NSAID, n (%)	N/A	3 (18)	-
HRT/OCP	3 (18)	3 (18)	1.00
mRSS	N/A	16 ± 6	-
VDAI	N/A	4 (2-5)	-
ESR, mm/hr (median, IQR)	N/A	11 (8-15)	-
CRP, mg/L (median, IQR)	1 (1-2)	6 (3-11)	<0.001
Duration of SSc, years (median, IQR)	N/A	13 (7-16)	-
Duration of DMARDs, years (median, IQR)	N/A	4 (2-5)	-

Continuous data are mean ± SD unless otherwise indicated.
Categorical data are frequency (percent) unless otherwise indicated.
BMI, body mass index; CRP, C-reactive protein; DMARD, disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug(s); ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; HRT/OCP, hormone replacement therapy or oral contraceptive pill; IQR, interquartile range; mRSS, modified Rodnan skin score; NSAID, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug(s); SSc, systemic sclerosis; VDAI, Valentini disease activity index

ISSN: 1532-429X