European Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine

Chronic kidney disease is a pathophysiological process with numerous etiologies, resulting in inexorable attrition of nephron number and function leading to end stage renal disease. Cardiovascular causes and infections contribute towards the large proportion of increased morbidity and mortality. Connective tissue diseases are immune mediated inflammatory diseases, mainly of the musculoskeletal system; however, they frequently involve the cardiovascular system. They affect the pericardium, myocardium, valve leaflets, coronary arteries and conduction system with different rates of prevalence and degrees of severity. This study aims to find cardiac abnormalities using ECG, 2D-ECHO and also to determine what proportion of chronic kidney disease with connective tissue disease patients will have conduction abnormalities. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The main source of data is from patients who are renal biopsy proven CKD with connective tissue disease attending the outpatient department and patients admitted in the department of General Medicine and department of Nephrology in Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Bengaluru. Duration of study was one and half year from March 2021 to August 2022. RESULTS: The study population included 55 patients of connective tissue disease with chronic kidney disease. Conduction abnormalities on ECG were seen in 11 patients (20%). Sinus tachycardia was most common ECG finding seen in 17 patients (30.9%). In ECHO, pericardial effusion was the most common finding seen in 27 patients (49.09%), CONCLUSION: The incidence of cardiovascular manifestations is significantly higher in patients of connective tissue disease with CKD compared with the general population. It is likely to be associated with subclinical atherosclerosis and vascular damage, disease related factors. Therefore, early detection of cardiac abnormalities in all patients of CKD with connective tissue disorder may reduce the morbidity and mortality due to cardiovascular involvement in connective tissue diseases.