The role of cardiovascular risk factors in systemic lupus erythematosus

Lee, Shin Seok

Abstract

The survival of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has improved dramatically over the last few decades. However, the mortality rates of SLE patients remain three times that of an age- and gender-matched population. As the lifespan of SLE patients continues to increase, death due to cardiovascular disease (CVD) has attained increasing importance. In several SLE cohorts, the prevalence of clinical coronary artery disease (CAD) has been shown to range from 6% to 10%. Compared with women in the general population, women with SLE are estimated to be 5-8-times more likely to develop CAD, with this risk being particularly marked in women younger than 55 years of age. These increased risks of CVD for SLE patients cannot be fully explained by traditional cardiovascular risk factors alone and other factors, such as inflammatory factors, are presumed to contribute to these risks. Among the inflammatory factors, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) has proven to be the most powerful marker for future cardiovascular events in patients with SLE. It is suggested that the addition of hsCRP to standard cardiovascular risk factors will facilitate the identification of lupus patients at risk for future cardiovascular events.