Incidence and associated risk factors of arterial stiffness in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus / 中华心血管病杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the prevalence and related risk factors of arterial stiffness measured by brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The study population included 135 patients currently enrolled in the Chinese SLE Treatment and Research group registry (CSTAR). All traditional cardiovascular risk factors and SLE-related disease factors were collected on the day of the baPWV examination.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1)Significant differences were observed in age (P < 0.000) , family history of cardiovascular disease (P = 0.003), mean blood pressure (P = 0.000) and hemoglobin A1c (P = 0.023) between SLE patients with normal and abnormal arterial stiffness. In addition, SLE patients with abnormal arterial stiffness had lower creatinine clearance rates [85.9 (65.5-108.8) ml/min vs. 106.4 (86.8-124.6) ml/min, P = 0.011], longer disease and hydroxychloroquine duration (P = 0.002 and P = 0.022, respectively), and higher proportion of intravenous cyclophosphamide use (OR = 3.04, 95%CI1.230-7.514, P = 0.013) as compared to patients with normal arterial stiffness. (2)After adjustment of all confounding factors, age (OR = 4.56, 95%CI 1.863-11.133, P = 0.001), mean blood pressure (OR = 1.12, 95%CI 1.055-1.196, P = 0.000) , disease duration (OR = 1.12, 95%CI 1.050-1.367, P = 0.007) and the proportion of intravenous cyclophosphamide use (OR = 2.86, 95%CI 1.364-5.979, P = 0.005) remained as independent risk factors for abnormal arterial stiffness in SLE patients.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Both traditional cardiovascular risk factors and SLE-related factors are associated with the risk of increased arterial stiffness.</p>