Sjogren's and heart disease

[sunflower]

Hello again,

I came across this article and wonder if anyone else has Sjogren's and heart issues.  Mine is arrhythmia  with AFib.
https://creakyjoints.org/news/sjogrens-syndrome-heart-disease-link/

The website has a rather unprofessional name but if you go into the imbedded link for Arthritis Care and Research, it is quite an extensive study.

My AFib is debilitating (shortness of breath to the point of passing out) so I have needed several ablations.  My specialist says my case is complicated.  I wonder if there is a connection with Sjogren's.

Sunflower

[Linda196]

Very interesting article, thanks for sharing it.
Autoimmune diseases have all been associated with increased heart issues, mostly due to the inflammatory levels produced, at least that's my Rheumy's take. I've been monitored annually with ECG, Echo and so on, for 40 years since my first AI diagnosis (Sarcoidosis), and there have been no changes (other than rather difficult to treat high blood pressure) through the following 4 or 5 AI diagnoses, including Sjogren's.
I've actually had an irregular heart rate, ventricular not atrial, since childhood, long predating any autoimmune diagnoses, but who knows how far back the basis of these thigs goes?

[meirish]

Have you seen a cardiologist about this. I know that many years ago on this site we had a gal who was suffering so much with heart issues and always in ER...abnormal rhythm etc. At that time no heart issues had been associated with autoimmune or Sjogrens to my knowledge. She went to the cardiologist and he ended up doing some type of procedure and put her on some kind of pacemaker or whatever that helped stimulate and regulate her heart rate. Dr. said it was a problmn from sjogrens that affected the electrical system in her heart. Made sense to me. Could even be caused by neuropathy or the nerves that control the electrical stimulation of the heart. Good luck. meirish