Title:Risk Factors in Cardiovascular Disease in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Volume: 9
Issue: 1
Author(s): Nailu Angelica Sinicato, Priscila Aparecida da Silva Cardoso and Simone Appenzeller
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Nontraditional risk factors, cardiovascular disease, systemic lupus erythematosus
Abstract: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic and multisystemic autoimmune disorder which predominantly
affecting women. The most common cause of death in SLE patients affected by disease for more than 5 years is cardiovascular
disease (CVD). Epidemiological observations suggest that, together with classical conventional risk factors, other
mechanisms (non-conventional/disease-specific factors) promote accelerated atherosclerosis in inflammatory diseases like
SLE. Traditional CVD risk factors included age, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, previous vascular event
defined as previous history of cerebrovascular accidents or ischemic heart disease, menopause and smoking. The nontraditional
factors presents in SLE are disease-specific like renal disease manifestation as Lupus nephritis (LN), presence
of pro-inflammatory cytokines, some of inflammatory mediators, antiphospholipid antibodies, anti-oxLDL antibodies,
corticosteroid uses and cumulative dose of glucocorticoids. We will review traditional and non-traditional risk factors associated
with CVD in SLE patients.
