Abstract
Background
Nephritis in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a factor contributing to early development of atherosclerosis (AS).
Objectives
The aim of the study is to determine differences in cardiovascular risk factors and AS in SLE pts with and without lupus nephritis (LN).
Methods
The study included 162 females, age 35 [26–43] years (median [interquartile range 25–75%])) with SLE (ACR,1997). We divided SLE pts on two groups, comparable in age: the 1st group is the pts with LN (n=84, 52%), the 2nd - without LN (n=78, 48%). We considered traditional factors of cardiovascular disease (CVD): (smoking, family history of CVD, blood pressure, cholesterol (total, HDL, LDL) and triglyceride (TG) levels, body mass index, diabetes mellitus) and SLE-related factors (age at onset, duration, clinical features, SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI-2K) and the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics damage index (SLICC/DI), treatment with steroids); intima-media thickness (IMT) and the 10-year risk for coronary events. Carotid intima-media wall thickness of common carotid arteries was measured by high resolution B-mode ultrasound. The 10-year risk for coronary events was estimated by the Framingham risk equation.
Results
Median SLE duration was 8,0 [2,3–17,0] years, SLEDAI 2K – 8 [3–16], SLICC/DI score – 2 [0–3], duration of prednisone treatment – 72 [26–141] months. SLE pts from the 1st group had higher prevalence of hypertension (61% vs 36%, p<0,01), systolic blood pressure (130 [110–150] vs 120 [110–130]mm Hg, p<0,01), diastolic blood pressure (80 [70–95] vs 70 [70–80] mm Hg, p<0,05), TG concentration (136 [98–184] vs 100 [61–162] mg/dl, p<0,01), Framingham Risk Score (5 [1–30] vs 1 [1–27]%, p<0,05), SLEDAI-2K (12 [5–19] vs 4 [2–10], p<0,ehz745.08501), SLICC/DI score (2 [0–4] vs 0 [0–2], p<0,01), prednisone therapy duration (95 [26–192] vs 44 [14–98] months, p<0,05), prednisone cumulative dose (34,4 [13,6–82,5] vs 15,7 [6,2–35,2] g, p<0,001), mean IMT (0,73 [0,65–0,83] vs 0,67 [0,61–0,75] mm, p<0,01), than the pts from the 2nd group. There is no difference in CVD frequency in these groups (17% vs 8%, p=0,084).
Conclusions
SLE patients with and without LN had no difference in frequency of clinical manifestations of AS (CVD), but had a greater value of mean IMT, Framingham Risk Score and a higher incidence of both traditional (hypertension, TG concentration) and SLE-related (disease activity, prednisone therapy) risk factors for AS.
Age and blood pressure goal in women with prior coronary events
