Cardiac manifestations in primary Sjogren's syndrome

It appears that among patients with definite primary Sjogren's syndrome (DSS) or probable SS (PSS) many have silent and symptom-free heart conditions. Doctors evaluated echocardiograms and pressure measurements of 54 patients with DSS, 10 patients with PSS and 21 healthy volunteers (the control group). The pericardium, or sac that surrounds the heart, was thickened in 33% of the 64 study patients and none of the control group. Study patients had higher calculated lung pressure values and lower diastolic blood pressure measurements than the control group.