What Is Ankylosing Spondylitis? Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment
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Osteopenia and osteoporosis — both terms for low bone mass, or low bone mineral density — are common complications of ankylosing spondylitis, and both raise the risk of spinal fractures.
Other potential complications of ankylosing spondylitis include:
- Aortitis
- Aortic valve disease
- Disturbances in the heart’s electrical impulses
- Weakened heart muscles
- Reduced blood flow to the heart
- Fibrosis, or scarring, of the upper lobes of the lungs
- Breathing impairment due to chest wall restriction
- Sleep apnea
- Spontaneous pneumothorax (collapsed lung)
- Uveitis
How Ankylosing Spondylitis Causes Aortic Regurgitation
Some people with ankylosing spondylitis develop chronic inflammation at the base of the heart, around the aortic valve, and at the origin of the aorta, the main artery that carries blood away from the heart.
Years of chronic inflammation can lead to aortic regurgitation, a condition that occurs when the aortic valve doesn’t close properly, causing blood to flow backward.
In this particular study, aortic regurgitation was found in 18 percent of the participants with ankylosing spondylitis. In addition, aortic regurgitation was associated with both age and severity of ankylosing spondylitis.
The researchers suggested that routine care in ankylosing spondylitis should include monitoring with both echocardiography and electrocardiography. Once diagnosed, symptomatic aortic regurgitation can be treated with medication or by surgical repair or replacement.
Can Ankylosing Spondylitis Cause Costochondritis?
Costochondritis is a condition that causes pain and tenderness in the chest. The pain happens in an area called the costosternal joints, where the ribs meet the breastbone.
Ankylosing Spondylitis Progression
Ankylosing spondylitis is a progressive disease. People with AS may initially have pain in the lower back, sacroiliac joints, or buttocks area that progresses to other areas, including the hips, shoulders, or neck.
- Exposure to bisphosphonates, a type of osteoporosis treatment, in women
- High C-reactive protein levels, an indicator of inflammation, in men
- Obesity in men and women
- Smoking in men
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