Comparison of risk factors for vascular disease in the carotid artery and aorta in women with systemic lupus erythematosus

Abstract

In women with SLE, the risk factors associated with carotid plaque and IMT are those typically associated with cardiovascular disease in the general population, whereas the risk factors associated with vascular stiffness include SLE-specific variables related to immune dysregulation and complement metabolism. The high prevalence of cardiovascular disease among lupus patients may result from both early adverse effects on vascular stiffening as well as later promotion of wall thickening and plaque through inflammatory-mediated processes. These observations provide clues for future mechanistic studies.