Abstract 13286: Co-Morbidities Clustering According to Imaging Diagnostic Criteria in Cardiac Sarcoidosis

Background: Cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) diagnostic guidelines updated in 2006 and in 2017 now include imaging findings of left ventricular (LV) dysfunction (LV EF < 50%) on cardiac MRI and echocardiography as major diagnostic criterion. Limited data is available with regards to co-morbidities clustering in sarcoidosis and CS according to the 2017 updated guideline diagnostic criteria.

Methods: A case control, single tertiary medical center study included 558 sarcoidosis patients with documented extracardiac sarcoidosis and completed electrocardiogram and/or cardiac MRI imaging. CS 2006 and 2017 diagnostic criteria and co-morbidity data were extracted from electronic charts and were available for comparison in 540 patients.

Results: The total study population was composed of 52.7% (281/540) females, aged 58.9+/-12.6 years old, with diabetes mellitus (DM) present in 29.6% (160/540), HTN in 51.7% (279/540), CAD in 13.3% (72/540), moderate to severe aortic, mitral, or tricuspid valvular disease in 14.8% (80/540), ESRD in 2.4% (13/540), and COPD or asthma in 21.9% (118/540). There was a significant clustering of co-morbidities according to the imaging CS diagnostic criteria. Patients meeting the 2017 CS imaging criteria were found to be older (61.4+/-11.3 vs 58.8+/-12.8 years old in patients not meeting criteria, p=0.085), predominantly male (69.2%, (54/78) vs. 44.4%, (205/462), p<0.001), and demonstrated significantly increased prevalence of DM (39.7%, (31/78) vs. 27.9%, (129/462), p=0.034), and valvular disease (33.3%, (26/78) vs. 11.7%, (54/462), respectively, p<0.001). However, there were no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of HTN (60.3%, (47/78) vs. 50.2%, (232/462), p=0.101), ESRD (3.9%, (3/76) vs. 2.2%, (10/456), p=0.361), and COPD or asthma (19.2%, (15/78) vs. 22.3%, (103/462), p=0.544) in patients meeting 2017 CS criteria compared to those that did not.

Conclusion: CS patients meeting 2017 imaging diagnostic criteria were found to have statistically significant clustering of the following co-morbidities: male gender, DM, and valvular disease. These findings underscore importance of comprehensive care in CS patients and warrant caution in assigning LV abnormalities observed on imaging solely to CS etiology.