Premature atherosclerosis in systemic sclerosis patients: Its relation to disease parameters and to traditional risk factors

Abstract

Our findings confirm the presence of premature atherosclerosis in SSc patients assessed by significant impairment of FMD, flow change and ccIMT, and it is associated with traditional cardiovascular risk factors such as age, dyslipidemia and obesity (BMI) as well as with the use of steroids and markers of inflammation such as CRP and ESR.