Sexual dysfunction in women with systemic autoimmune rheumatic disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: In women with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs), female sexual dysfunction (SD) remains underestimated. We aimed to explore the prevalence and correlates of SD in females with SARDs. METHODS: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies assessing the prevalence of SD and the pooled Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) scores in this setting (PROSPERO: CRD42021287346). We searched PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) databases and grey literature until February 2022. We evaluated the quality of the selected records using the Hoy Risk of Bias tool. A random-effects meta-analysis of proportions with the double arcsine transformation was conducted. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses, as well as meta-regression of important correlates, were conducted. RESULTS: We included 68 studies with 5457 females diagnosed with a SARD (mean age: 43.7 [12.9] years). The overall SD prevalence was 63% (95% CI: 56, 69%, I2 = 94%) and the overall FSFI total score was 19.7 points (95% CI: 18.4, 21, I2 = 97%). Including only sexually active females, the SD prevalence was estimated as 60% (95% CI: 53, 67%, I2 = 88%), whereas the FSFI total score was 22 points (95% CI: 20.8, 23.1, I2 = 93%). Across the different SARDs, women with Sjögren's syndrome and systemic sclerosis reported the highest levels of SD (74%, 95% CI: 58, 87%, I2 = 84% and 69%, 95% CI: 54, 83%, I2 = 94%, respectively). CONCLUSION: Sexual function in females with SARDs seems to be severely impaired, irrespective of the type of SARD. Screening and treatment of SD in females with SARDs should become an integral part of healthcare clinical practice.

Treatment of Sexual Dysfunction in Women with Systemic Autoimmune Rheumatic Disorders: A Systematic Review.

INTRODUCTION: Female sexual dysfunction (SD) is an under-recognized and undertreated problem in patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic disorders (SARDs). OBJECTIVES: To summarize and evaluate the existing treatment modalities for SD in females with SARDs. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. Electronic databases were searched up to April 2022 for studies that assessed the use of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment modalities for the management of SD in females with SARDs. Randomized and observational studies were included. (PROSPERO: CRD42022296381). RESULTS: Seven studies with 426 females with SD were included. Seven different treatment modalities belonging to 5 different classes (androgen therapy, phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors, exercise, education and local creams) were evaluated in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis and systemic sclerosis. The majority of the studies were of low methodological quality. Standardized patient education and 8-week aerobic walking programs were successful in improving female SD. Local creams improved dyspareunia in females with systemic sclerosis. Testosterone did not significantly improve SD in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Accordingly, tadalafil did not result in a significant improvement of SD in females with systemic sclerosis, based on the Female Sexual Function Index. CONCLUSION: There is a lack of sufficient evidence to recommend a certain management strategy for SD in females with SARDs. Nonpharmacological therapy and lubricant creams may be beneficial in females with SARDs. No benefit was demonstrated after androgen therapy or tadalafil. Still, no definite conclusions can be drawn due to the important limitations of the available literature. Overall, our results may be considered preliminary and further research in the field is mandatory. Baniotopoulos P, Pyrgidis N, Minopoulou I, et al. Treatment of Sexual Dysfunction in Women with Systemic Autoimmune Rheumatic Disorders: A Systematic Review. Sex Med Rev 2022;10:520-528.

Treatment of Sexual Dysfunction in Women with Systemic Autoimmune Rheumatic Disorders: A Systematic Review.

INTRODUCTION: Female sexual dysfunction (SD) is an under-recognized and undertreated problem in patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic disorders (SARDs). OBJECTIVES: To summarize and evaluate the existing treatment modalities for SD in females with SARDs. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. Electronic databases were searched up to April 2022 for studies that assessed the use of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment modalities for the management of SD in females with SARDs. Randomized and observational studies were included. (PROSPERO: CRD42022296381). RESULTS: Seven studies with 426 females with SD were included. Seven different treatment modalities belonging to 5 different classes (androgen therapy, phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors, exercise, education and local creams) were evaluated in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis and systemic sclerosis. The majority of the studies were of low methodological quality. Standardized patient education and 8-week aerobic walking programs were successful in improving female SD. Local creams improved dyspareunia in females with systemic sclerosis. Testosterone did not significantly improve SD in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Accordingly, tadalafil did not result in a significant improvement of SD in females with systemic sclerosis, based on the Female Sexual Function Index. CONCLUSION: There is a lack of sufficient evidence to recommend a certain management strategy for SD in females with SARDs. Nonpharmacological therapy and lubricant creams may be beneficial in females with SARDs. No benefit was demonstrated after androgen therapy or tadalafil. Still, no definite conclusions can be drawn due to the important limitations of the available literature. Overall, our results may be considered preliminary and further research in the field is mandatory.

Trends in ablation procedures in Greece over the 2008-2018 period: Results from the Hellenic Cardiology Society Ablation Registry.

OBJECTIVE: In 2008, the radiofrequency ablation (RFA) procedures registry of the Hellenic Society of Cardiology was created. This online database allowed electrophysiologists around the country to input data for all performed ablation procedures. The aim of this study is to provide a thorough report and interpretation of the data submitted to the registry between 2008 and 2018. METHODS: In 2008, a total of 27 centers/medical teams in 24 hospitals were licensed to perform RFA in Greece. By 2018, the number had risen to 31. Each center was tasked with inserting their own data into the registry, which included patient demographics (anonymized), type of procedure and technique, complications, and outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 18587 procedures in 17900 patients were recorded in the period of 2008-2018. By 2018, slightly more than 70% of procedures were performed in 7 high-volume centers (>100 cases/year). The most common procedure since 2014 was atrial fibrillation ablation, followed by atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia ablation. Complication rates were low, and success rates remained high, whereas the 6-month relapse rates declined steadily. CONCLUSION: This online RFA registry has proved that ablation procedures in Greece have reached a very high standard, with results and complication rates comparable to European and American standards. Ablation procedures for atrial fibrillation are increasing constantly, with it being the most common intervention over the last 6-year period, although the absolute number of procedures still remains low, compared to other European countries.

Subclinical atherosclerosis in systemic sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis: a comparative matched-cohort study.

Systemic autoimmune inflammatory disorders confer a higher risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease leading to increased morbidity and mortality and reduced life expectancy compared to the general population. CV risk in systemic sclerosis (SSc) has not been studied extensively but surrogate markers of atherosclerosis namely carotid intima media thickness (cIMT) and pulse wave velocity (PWV) are impaired in some but not all studies in SSc patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of subclinical atherosclerosis assessed by cIMT and PWV between two well-characterized SSc and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) cohorts. Consecutive SSc patients attending the Scleroderma Clinic were compared with RA patients recruited in the Dudley Rheumatoid Arthritis Co-morbidity Cohort (DRACCO), a prospective study examining CV burden in RA. Augmentation Index (Aix75) and cIMT were measured in all participants. Propensity score matching was utilised to select patients from the two cohorts with similar demographic characteristics, CV risk factors and inflammatory load. Unpaired analysis was performed using unpaired t test for continuous variables and χ2 test for dichotomous variables. Statistical analysis was repeated using paired t test for continuous normal variables and McNemar's test for dichotomous variables. Fifty five age- and sex-matched SSc and RA patients were included in the analysis. No difference was demonstrated between SSc and RA subjects regarding cIMT (0.66 mm vs 0.63 mm, respectively) and Aix75% measurements (33.4 vs 31.7, respectively) neither in paired (p = 0.623 for cIMT and p = 0.204 for Aix%) nor in unpaired t test analysis (p = 0.137 for cIMT and p = 0.397 for AIx%). The results of this comparative study show that subclinical atherosclerosis is comparable between SSc and RA, a systemic disease with well-defined high atherosclerotic burden. Such findings underscore the importance of CV risk management in SSc in parallel with other disease-related manifestations.