Systemic sclerosis & Raynaud's
Thermographic abnormalities associate with electrocardiogram/echocardiographic changes and mortality in systemic sclerosis: a retrospective cohort study
Authors' conclusion
Thermographic abnormalities were associated with cardiac abnormalities and increased mortality in SSc patients.
Study context
- Population
- SSc patients attending a UK referral centre, 2015–2023 (84% female, mean age 57 years)
- Participants
- 266 patients
- Exposure
- Baseline thermographic abnormalities (distal-dorsal difference (DDD), impaired rewarming) and ECG/TTE abnormalities and mortality
- Outcome
- Association between thermographic impairment and ECG/TTE abnormalities
Methodological detailssingle referral centre, logistic regression, Kaplan-Meier analysis, Cox proportional hazards regression
- Single referral centre
- Logistic regression
- Kaplan-Meier analysis
- Cox proportional hazards regression
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- ECG abnormalities; univariable analysis
- OR 1.18; P = 0.047
- TTE abnormalities; univariable analysis
- OR 1.19; P = 0.008
- ECG abnormalities; multivariable analysis
- OR 2.36; P = 0.073
- TTE abnormalities; multivariable analysis
- OR 9.08; P = 0.05
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | Estimate | P value |
|---|---|---|
| Mortality (Cox proportional hazards regression) | HR 6.04 | |
| Survival (Kaplan-Meier)Significantly shorter survival with baseline DDD | χ2d 4.04 | P = 0.047 |
- Mortality (Cox proportional hazards regression) — Male sex, HR
- 2.86
- Mortality (Cox proportional hazards regression) — Older age, HR
- 1.06
- Mortality (Cox proportional hazards regression) — Cardiovascular comorbidities, HR
- 3.73
Prevalence of cardiac and thermographic abnormalities
- ≥1 cardiac abnormality by ECG
- 39%
- ≥1 cardiac abnormality by TTE
- 34%
- Baseline DDDs
- 83%
- Severe thermographic impairment of rewarming
- 58%
Original publication
Thermographic abnormalities associate with electrocardiogram/echocardiographic changes and mortality in systemic sclerosis: a retrospective cohort study. Rheumatology (Oxford). Published 11 July 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →