DAY 16 Scleroderma Awareness Month: THE HEART

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by Nicola Whitehill |

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Day 16 Scleroderma Awareness month

DAY 16  Scleroderma Awareness Month: THE HEART

Scleroderma can affect all body parts, including the heart. This can be seen in the limited forms and the diffuse forms – see my Day 1 Scleroderma Awareness Month blog post.

As can be seen in the above image, scleroderma can affect the heart in many different ways. An early diagnosis and diagnostic tests can be crucial in preventing life threatening damage with irreversible heart involvement.

Currently there is no cure, with treatments targeting symptom suppression and blood pressure regulation, with transplantation, being a final option.

Here in the UK, Hollie Owen recently underwent a heart transplant, aged 20, due to the damage caused to her heart by diffuse scleroderma. Hollie is making amazing progress with her new heart and has now returned home to convalesce. To follow Hollie’s story visit her facebook page ‘Hope for Hollie – Heart Transplant.’

For more information on the UK Scleroderma Study Group cardiac management guidelines, click here.

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About the Author

Nicola Whitehill avatar
Nicola Whitehill Having graduated with BSc Hons in Applied and Human Biology in 1995, I was working as a medical rep for Bristol Myers Squibb, when in 1997, aged 24, I was diagnosed with diffuse systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) and rayanuds and given a prognosis of 15 months, soon to be wheel chair bound. I was advised by my medical professional, at that time, to give up on my dream of being a barrister, and accept the diagnosis...... I did none of this! I changed my medical professional to international experts of the diagnosis (Dame Prof Black, and Prof Denton) and kept my dreams alive, qualifying as a practising barrister in March 2004. This prompted the medical decision to stop the 2g daily immunosuppressant routine of the previous 5 years, and unfortunately, within 8 weeks, I was forced to cease my 60hour working week and accept that the physical requirements of the role were too much for my body. I relocated to my family home town of Southport, UK. My full time job now, is to manage my symptoms to a controllable level. In 2013 I came out of the scleroderma closet to the world by way of the Daily Mail publishing my story with the headline 'The Real Life Tin Man' and since then I have devoted all of my spare energy to highlighting the plight of the scleroderma patient. In 2013 I became a patient advocate on the NHS England Clinical Reference Group for Specialised Rheumatology. I am honoured to have been a member of the clinical team who compiled the NHS England treatment guidelines for digital ulcers. In 2013, I also became a patient expert with the European Medicines Agency as well as Eurordis. In 2015 I was delighted to be a UK patient advocate for the FESCA World Scleroderma Day event held at the European Parliament: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQimB_F2l_4 . I am wholly committed to improving the patient landscape which this diagnosis brings, and I feel very blessed that my symptoms are mild compared to other Ssc patients, whose voices, I hope to include also. Other than being a Ssc parrot, I enjoy relaxing with my dogs and anything which makes me feel good, as one day I want to be able to say I am scleroderma and raynauds free.

Tags

ACEi, antihyeprtensive drugs, arrhythmia, blood pressure, cardiac, early diagnosis, the heart, transplant, vessel hardening

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