Objectives: Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are under increased risk for cardiovascular events (CVE) and mortality. Aortic stiffness, as measured by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), has been shown to predict CVE and mortality in the general population. The aim of the present study was to examine the factors associated with cfPWV in patients with SLE and to determine differences of SLE patients in comparison to healthy controls.
Methods: 125 patients with SLE and 104 controls were included. Demographic, medication and cardiovascular risk factor data were collected from all participants. Furthermore, clinical and laboratory SLE associated parameters were documented in the patients' group. All subjects underwent measurements of blood pressure and cfPWV.
Results: Interestingly, only age (β=0.55; p<0.001), mean arterial pressure (MAP) (β=0.29; p<0.001) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (β=-0.20; p=0.033) were associated independently with cfPWV in patients with SLE. Moreover, there was no difference of cfPWV between patients with SLE and controls before (p=0.301) and after adjustment for disparities between the groups (p=0.671).
Conclusions: Vascular stiffness in patients with SLE seems to be independent from SLE-related factors and from most traditional CVRF and is mainly associated with age, MAP and renal function defined as eGFR. There is an independent correlation between eGFR and cfPWV in a SLE population with a widely normally ranged eGFR. There is no difference of cfPWV between patients with SLE and controls.